LFP TV rights: Competition Authority rejects Canal+'s complaint; imminent agreement possible

The French Competition Authority has rejected Canal+'s complaint against the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) concerning the reallocation of the Ligue 1 Uber Eats and Ligue 2 BKT broadcasting rights initially awarded to Mediapro. The Canal+ group criticised the LFP for not having put Lot 3 (Saturday 21:00 and Sunday 17:00 CET matches) back on the market, which it had acquired under sub-license from beIN Sports for €330m per season.

The Competition Authority found that "the LFP had no interest, especially in the context of the health crisis, in terminating the contract for Lot 3: on the contrary, this decision safeguarded its financial interests and those of the clubs. The market consultation launched by the LFP in 2021 appears to have been organised in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner; it placed all potential candidates on an equal footing."

A LFP board meeting is currently taking place (11/06/2021, from midday) to finalise an agreement with pay-TV groups Canal+ and beIN Sports for the broadcasting rights to the Ligue 1 Uber Eats and Ligue 2 BKT over the 2020-2024…