LFP/Ligue 1 TV rights: "Our dispute is completely legitimate" (Florent Houzot, beIN SPORTS France)

"We validated Matchday 7 of Ligue 1 on 03/09. Over the first seven matchdays, we have three 1^st choices and four 2^nd choices. We have exercised three 1^st choices: Olympique de Marseille - Paris FC (Matchday 2, 23/08), Paris Saint-Germain - RC Lens (Matchday 4, 14/09) and LOSC Lille - Olympique Lyonnais (Matchday 6, 28/09). For the other four matches, we had the option of a 2^nd choice, but it wasn't a real 2^nd choice. We never had a real 2^nd choice, but choices 3, 4 and 5. That's what we're contesting. This dispute is entirely legitimate," declared Florent Houzot, programmes and on-air director at beIN SPORTS France, during the pay-TV group's conference on 04/09/2025.

beIN, which broadcasts one Ligue 1 McDonald's game per matchday for €78.5m per season, has been in dispute with LFP Media for several weeks. The Qatari group's subsidiary is seeking to renegotiate certain terms of the contract concerning restrictions on the scheduling of its matches (alternating between 1^st and 2^nd choice games every other week, a maximum of eight broadcasts of the same team during the season…