France/TV rights: "Ligue 1 may not be as indispensable as it used to be" (A. Simon, In&Out Stories)

"We have to realise that Ligue 1 is perhaps not as indispensable a product as it used to be. It needs to be in recovery mode, in remontada (comeback) mode. To do that, we need to innovate and offer the most flexible access possible. I don't think that consumers necessarily want to avoid paying," said Arnaud Simon, CEO and founder of In&Out Stories, a consultancy firm for national and international sports organisations, to Le Parisien on 25/11/2024.

In&Out Stories recently assisted the OTT platform DAZN in its strategy to acquire the TV rights to Ligue 1. The British streaming service has secured exclusive domestic media rights to eight Ligue 1 McDonald's games per matchday over the 2024-2029 cycle for an average of €400m per season.

"Today, people want to be able to pay for targeted, affinity-based content - they want to follow their team first and foremost - and to be able to stop subscribing easily. DAZN is aware of these issues and is well placed to adapt to these new ways of working. They have the necessary digital tools to do so, and the desire to establish themselves over the…