One week before the resumption of the Ligue 1 championship, no one knows who will broadcast the two matches of lot 3, namely that of Saturday 9 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. - Amazon will broadcast the other eight matches.
French football is now awaiting a new court decision scheduled for Wednesday in the conflict between the League and the broadcaster beIN Sports ... Even if other parallel assignments are in progress.
The Paris court on Friday reserved a summary summons from the Professional Football League (LFP) against beIN Sports.
The decision must be made Wednesday August 4 at midday, two days before the resumption of the championship on August 6.
The assignment of the LFP aims to force the Qatari channel to honor its contract, namely the payment and broadcasting of two Ligue 1 matches per day against 332 M € per year.
A first payment of 56 M € is expected Thursday August 5 by the League but beIN does not feel indebted.
Indeed, the Qatari group has sublicensed its contract to Canal +, which must theoretically make payments to beIN.
But Canal wants to withdraw from Ligue 1. It was authorized to suspend its payments by a recent court decision, which decision was overturned by the Nanterre Commercial Court on Thursday.
The Canal + termination request is frozen by the courts, as long as the commercial court has not rendered an interim decision on this aspect of the case.
🔴 BeIn Sport has decided to put itself under the protection of the Nanterre commercial court in order to avoid paying its first installment of August 5 to the LFP.
As a reminder, BeIn Sports holds lot 3 (2 L1 matches) for € 332 million.
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- BeFoot (@_BeFoot) July 30, 2021
This Friday, the Qatari channel placed itself under the protection of a conciliator, with the commercial court of Nanterre, in order to "find an amicable solution to face the current crisis", according to a source having knowledge of the file.
beIN Sports France could thus broadcast the first day next week without having to pay the first installment of August 5.
A situation that Mediapro had known for several months last season, also placing itself under the protection of the Commercial Court of Nanterre via a conciliation procedure, before reaching an exit agreement with the LFP.
A first meeting between the League, beIN Sports and Canal + could be organized in the coming days.
Between now and Wednesday's decision, other developments could arise, as beIN Sports reassigned Canal + to the Nanterre commercial court with a view to enforcing the sublicence contract, according to several sources close to the parties.
A new hearing is scheduled for Monday in this case.
In the longer term, beIN has also sued the LFP on the merits before the judicial court, with a view to renegotiating, or even terminating, the contract relating to the two meetings per day that it must broadcast.
But the first hearing in this case is not scheduled until November.
