Ligue 1 is dead and buried. Since the catastrophic strategic choices made by opting for Mediapro (2018) and then Amazon Prime and DAZN in an emergency, the Professional Football League (LFP) is sending professional clubs into a wall. If it hasn't already.
While The club presidents just decided this week to part ways with the British broadcaster even before the end of the €400 million per year contract, due to a lack of sufficient subscribers, and therefore of visibility and possible economic balance, the TV rights remain in suspense. And the economic future of quite a few clubs too.
This Saturday, in L'Equipe, a glimmer of hope appears. With the upcoming inauguration of LFP Media Nicolas de Tavernost, former boss of M6 and now advisor to Rodolphe Saadé (CMA Media), the boss of Canal+ Maxime Saada is smiling again.
« We can talk to him and I will do it.«
He sees him as a credible actor to reopen discussions, he who is at total odds with the president of the LFP Vincent Labrune. "Putting him around the table as an interlocutor is a good way to get me back on the subject of Ligue 1," he dares. Enough to please the entire French football world.
« We can talk to him and I will do it.", implied, it's impossible with Vincent Labrune. "But I do not forget the damage caused to us during the previous contract."
As a reminder, when MediaPro's predictable withdrawal occurred, the LFP urgently negotiated with Amazon Prime to purchase seven matches per matchday for €7 million per season. However, Canal+ still owned two matches (only) for €250 million. This inconsistency naturally stuck in their craw. And in their bank accounts.
Given the economic situation of a majority of Ligue 1 clubs and the TV rights disaster since 2018, Maxime Saada now knows he is in a position of great strength.
In L'Equipe, he explains that he warned his friend Nicolas De Tavernost when he took the position: " I think the relegation isn't over for Ligue 1, make sure if you take the job you're not blamed for the rest of the relegation“. He adds : " He must like this challenge: succeeding where there is failure."
Nicolas De Tavernost is also the one who sold the Girondins de Bordeaux to Gérard Lopez, with the consequences we all know. Although very comfortable in the upper echelons and known to the big bosses, the LFP has nevertheless failed to unearth a visionary businessman capable of revolutionizing Ligue 1 broadcasting. What could have been interesting, even vital.
For several years now, the League should have supported L1 towards a platform like "NBA League Pass," available everywhere, for everyone, for free, alongside traditional TV rights. And thus gradually build up a huge strike force for the future..
