The Ligue 1 signal has travelled further east, with Pakistan and Bangladesh now added to the championship’s growing digital map. LFP Media has agreed a strategic partnership with Tapmad, a leading OTT streaming platform in Pakistan, opening access to French top-flight football in both countries.
Ligue 1 expands into Pakistan and Bangladesh
- LFP Media reached its agreement with Tapmad, giving the platform rights to show Ligue 1 in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- The service became available in the two territories from the Ligue 1 Classique between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain, a 2-1 PSG victory on 20 September.
- The deal follows an agreement signed only weeks earlier for the Indian market, underlining the league’s push across Asia.
Pakistan, with a population of 248 million, and Bangladesh, home to 177 million people, represent a substantial new audience for the French game. LFP Media sees both as high-potential digital markets, where appetite for sport on streaming platforms is increasing quickly.
A wider international distribution network
The Tapmad arrangement takes Ligue 1’s international distribution to 54 broadcasters across more than 200 territories. The league has continued to target overseas markets as it seeks to broaden the competition’s reach beyond its established European audience.
There have already been encouraging signs in Asia. Earlier in September, the Lille-Troyes fixture, played on Sunday 13 September at 3pm, produced a record linear television audience for a Ligue 1 match in China.
- Average audience in China: 2.15 million viewers
- Match: Lille v Troyes
- Significance: the highest linear audience recorded for a Ligue 1 game in the country
The figures, measured by CSM, added weight to the league’s international strategy. With India, Pakistan and Bangladesh now part of its recent expansion, Ligue 1 is continuing to seek new supporters in some of the fastest-growing streaming markets in Asia.
