The next Ligue 1 television rights battle is beginning to take shape under the floodlights of a difficult financial period for French football. LFP Media is preparing a market consultation that could put the entire championship in the hands of one broadcaster or one exclusive distributor from 2027 to 2032.
Olivier Bramly, the managing director of the League’s commercial subsidiary, presented the outline of the project to the LFP board on Tuesday. Subject to board approval, the process is expected to open at the start of November, with interested companies given one month to submit their responses.
Quick facts
- The proposed rights cycle would run for five seasons, from 2027 to 2032.
- Bidders could seek exclusive live rights for all Ligue 1 matches.
- They could alternatively pursue exclusive distribution rights for Ligue 1+, the league’s current streaming platform.
- A new law adopted on 3 August 2026 allows the league to sell its rights as a single package.
- Existing Ligue 1+ distribution agreements include a break clause that can be activated next March.
Bramly has been working on the framework since July and has held discussions with the main players in the market, including Canal+, RMC Sport, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and other potential partners. He has reported substantial expressions of interest despite the poor outcomes of recent Ligue 1 tender processes.
The central change is the possibility of selling every match together. Article 5 of the law on the organisation, management and financing of professional sport removed the previous legal requirement for rights packages to be split into separate lots.
The legislation explicitly permits the sale of a single package, a route the LFP believes could make Ligue 1 more attractive to major technology and streaming groups. The hope is that a company willing to commit to the competition will now have the certainty of acquiring the full product rather than only part of the schedule.
That issue had already surfaced in 2023, when Apple held advanced discussions with the league before withdrawing. The prospect of Ligue 1 rights being fragmented across several outlets was cited as a major concern.
The LFP’s urgency is also shaped by its current Ligue 1+ arrangements. A contractual exit option can be triggered in March, allowing the league to test the market well before 2029 rather than waiting for the existing distribution framework to run its course.
The aim is clear: secure significantly higher income than Ligue 1+ currently generates. For the clubs, facing another uncertain rights cycle, the prospect of one buyer taking the whole league is now being placed firmly on the table.
