As French football navigates the aftermath of the unsuccessful broadcast agreement with British provider DAZN, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) is proceeding with its plan to create a dedicated channel for the 2025-2026 season.
According to a report by L’Équipe, a bidding process for the production of this new internal broadcasting service began on Monday. It is scheduled to debut on August 15th, coinciding with the start of the next season.
Since no domestic broadcast partner has been secured for the upcoming season, the LFP is implementing a backup strategy: operating its own channel.
Nevertheless, the league remains open to collaborating with established media companies like Canal+, beIN Sports, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, or even DAZN, provided the partnership guarantees a minimum level of revenue.
DAZN, which held the broadcasting rights this season, reached an agreement with the LFP last month to terminate its Ligue 1 contract.
The British broadcaster`s previous agreement covered eight of the nine Ligue 1 matches per week for an annual fee of €375 million.
A DAZN representative told L’Équipe at the end of April, “Coming to France, losing money, and then stopping after one year doesn’t make much sense. We are convinced that within the framework of the Ligue 1 channel project, we can provide significant added value.”
Should DAZN partner with the LFP`s channel, the league would waive the €100 million penalty fee associated with DAZN breaking its contract.
