The French football league finally has a platform its domestic soccer rights after DAZN and beIN Sports emerged as joint bidders for Ligue 1 matches for the next two seasons.
LFP will receive an annual €500,000 for the contract, considerably less than it had been hoping for within the new 2024-2029 cycle.
The arrangement – which includes a get-out clause for DAZN after two years – follows weeks of uncertainty as to whether the Ligue would actually have a broadcaster when matches resume on August 16.
At one stage the League had even considered launching its own channel.
DAZN increased the amount it would give the clubs at the start of the 2024 season. Instead of 300 million euros in the first year, with an increase to 500 million under the terms of the contract in 2029, DAZN has reportedly committed to paying €350 million euros to clubs from next season.
Several aspects of the deal are yet to be ironed out, such as the distribution mix of the matches between the two broadcasters.
Club bosses also rejected an offer for Warner Bros Discovery that would have allowed the Eurosport owner rights to all of the matches, offered to subscribers alongside the full Max catalogue, in an offer similar to that of Discovery+ and TNT Sports in the UK.
