LFP TV rights/beIN Sports-Canal+ dispute: Versailles Court of Appeal decision to be made 31/03/2022

The Versailles Court of Appeal will decide on 31/03/2022 whether the pay-TV group Canal+ can return Lot 3 of the Ligue 1 Uber Eats broadcasting rights to the pay-TV group beIN Sports France, according to information gathered by Agence France-Presse (AFP) during a court hearing on 09/02/2022.

Canal+ had sublicensed the lot from beIN Sports, as part of an exclusive distribution agreement, for €332m per season on 09/12/2019. Canal+ had written to beIN Sports France to inform it of its intention to withdraw from its sublicense agreement, considering that the latter had not fulfilled its obligations to challenge the contract, which was considered prohibitive, following Amazon's acquisition, in June 2021, of the rights to Ligue 1 initially held by Mediapro for more than three times less than the amount staked by the Spanish group (€250m vs €780m).

In the first instance, the Nanterre Court ruled in summary proceedings that Canal+ could not terminate its sublicense agreement with beIN Sports on 05/08/2021. Canal+ announced that it would appeal.

Other disputes are underway between Canal+, beIN…