Professional Football League has the choice between DAZN for 375 million euros or launching its own channel

The sports streaming platform DAZN has made an offer to broadcast eight of the nine Ligue 1 matches next season, for an estimated amount of 375 million euros, the sports management of Radio France has learned from a source close to the matter, confirming information from the daily newspaper L’Équipe.

Uncertainty for two other lots to be sold, the Professional Football League (LFP) and its president Vincent Labrune hope with this additional sale to recover at least 150 million euros, to reach a total of 525 million euros. As a reminder, the LFP had refused a few months ago an offer of 500 million euros from DAZN.

The other possibility is the creation in extenso of its own channel. The LFP has been working on this file for several months and, as indicated by RMC, an agreement was reached with the Warner Group for the creation of a “L1 Max” package. Subscribers to the MAX platform – HBO, Warner Bros., Eurosport and Discovery – would have access to the League channel. This formula will be offered at less than 30 euros per month. Warner does not buy the rights to Ligue 1, specifies a player in the TV rights market, there is no distribution exclusivity, the LFP channel can be broadcast by all other players, such as internet access providers or platforms. It is difficult at the moment to evaluate the amount that the LFP can recover with this formula.

This “L1 Max” will be presented on Saturday July 6 at the Ligue 1 college, to try “to reassure” clubs that seem quite skeptical about this project. If it is validated by the clubs, a new board of directors of the League will have to be convened to ratify the decision. As a reminder, the first day of Ligue 1 is scheduled for Friday, August 16.