Even though PSG looks the weakest it has been since Lille stole the Ligue 1 title under their noses in 2021, they’re still head and shoulders ahead of the rest of the pack. Attendance and interest in Ligue 1 have been declining for some time, and their cut-price deal with DAZN doesn’t help.
Ligue 1’s TV deal will also reflect on the field as well. With funds uncertain, many clubs have taken to the transfer market to make up for losses. Ligue 1 is notably a hotbed of talent, so the top youth talents are being sold en masse.
Leny Yoro recently completed a $67 million transfer to United, while promising talents Khéphren Thuram, Hugo Ekitike, Enzo Le Fée, Mattéo Guendouzi, Thijs Dallinga, and more have all left the league. Most of Ligue 1’s talents not employed by PSG are currently being shopped around the league as well.
Europe as a whole has suffered
The deal is also indicative of Europe’s shifting TV rights climate. Ligue 1 is the second league to suffer the consequences of a botched TV rights deal after Serie A struggled to find a broadcaster last summer. DAZN and Sky announced they would keep their domestic rights to show Serie A for $996 million annually last year. Serie A valued their league some way off at $1.25 billion.
The German Bundesliga has also run into some difficulties during its auction process. DAZN recently filed a legal complaint, alleging they made the most ‘financially attractive’ bid during its May auction.
European leagues are slowly conceding power to broadcasters, who look keener than ever to ensure their investments reach a profitable return. Ligue 1’s squabble with Mediapro and Canal+, along with several other European leagues, shows it.
Meanwhile, the 2024/25 season of Ligue 1 is just over three weeks away, and the French league has still not found a US broadcaster. beIN SPORTS’ deal with Ligue 1 ended at the close of last season. Will the French Ligue 1 find a broadcaster in time for the new season to start?
PHOTOS: IMAGO
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/amp/tv/ligue-1-domestic-tv-deal-hints-at-shifting-european-climate/
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Publish date : 2024-07-23 22:00:20
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