Ligue 1 clubs in trouble as TV deal collapses

[horsechoker]

Ligue 1 clubs stare into financial abyss after huge TV deal collapses

Mediapro agreed to pay Ligue 1 clubs €3.25bn over four seasons. They did not even keep up their payments for four months

Exhausted, dehydrated and stranded, surrounded by sand dunes and a cloudless sky, sweat is wiped from the brow. The sight of palm trees and a sparkling lake in the distance flickers and then vanishes. This is the situation in which Ligue 1 has found itself this year. After being starved of success, French clubs hoped they would be revitalised by an unprecedented TV rights deal worth more than €1.15bn per year (€814m a year from Mediapro and €330m from BeIN Sports). It was the second largest TV deal in Europe, but the mirage finally disappeared this week, pushing French football to the brink of financial ruin.

Continues at: https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...re-financial-abyss-tv-deal-collapses-mediapro


Could this be the French version of ITV digital? PSG will most likely be alright but what about the rest?

 

[Samid]

Cheeky bid for Mbappe?

 

[arthurka]

It's what you get when you have teams like PSG. Other teams stretch to try to close the gap but in general the league turns into a farce. Not seeing a fix for this anytime soon.

 

[JPRouve]

It's what you get when you have teams like PSG. Other teams stretch to try to close the gap but in general the league turns into a farce. Not seeing a fix for this anytime soon.

It has nothing to do with PSG. The LFP picked a very risky offer when at the time many told them that it was a bad idea because Mediapro wasn't a thing yet.

 

[Lay]

That would be shit

 

[GoonerBear]

It has nothing to do with PSG. The LFP picked a very risky offer when at the time many told them that it was a bad idea because Mediapro wasn't a thing yet.

What does it mean for the clubs in your opinion? Have to sell players to balance books? Worse?

 

[Pep's Suit]

Ligue 1 clubs stare into financial abyss after huge TV deal collapses

Mediapro agreed to pay Ligue 1 clubs €3.25bn over four seasons. They did not even keep up their payments for four months




Continues at: https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...re-financial-abyss-tv-deal-collapses-mediapro


Could this be the French version of ITV digital? PSG will most likely be alright but what about the rest?

Will they? Even now three of their regulars are only on loan there. Think they made some poor expensive signings recently (Icardi, Paredes) and some of their players lost any value (Draxler, Kurzawa) so genuinely wonder what's next for them now. How they convince Mbappe and Neymar to extend? Can PSG offer let's say 10-15% salary increase?

 

[Mb194dc]

This was on ESPN a week a go, French Government lent €250m I think and Canal plus will take the rights but for much less € than the mediapro deal. It's similar to what happened to EPL china deal, though on a bigger scale.

Football (and lots of other industries) going to be totally stuffed by the fallout from Covid. As the tide goes out over the next few years will see who has been swimming naked.

 

[JPRouve]

What does it mean for the clubs in your opinion? Have to sell players to balance books? Worse?

For the moment nothing, there are actual TV networks that will get the rights. The suspiscion is that Canal Plus are waiting for Mediapro's bankruptcy and they will get the rights for cheaper than what Mediapro offered.

 

[Lay]

Will they? Even now three of their regulars are only on loan there. Think they made some poor expensive signings recently (Icardi, Paredes) and some of their players lost any value (Draxler, Kurzawa) so genuinely wonder what's next for them now. How they convince Mbappe and Neymar to extend? Can PSG offer let's say 10-15% salary increase?

Don’t think they can because of FFP. They won’t go bankrupt as they have money but just can’t spend it

 

[do.ob]

Are Lyon okay? Their season was cancelled, they missed out on CL/EL, they will miss out on a fee for Depay and now this..

 

[Vidyoyo]

Read about this in the FT a month ago. From what I remember, Mediapro are holding out paying clubs as they haven't got the money.

Sounds a bit shit but possibly a way for another media company to get involved (Amazon?).

 

[stu_1992]

Read about this in the FT a month ago. From what I remember, Mediapro are holding out paying clubs as they haven't got the money.

Sounds a bit shit but possibly a way for another media company to get involved (Amazon?).

Another company will definitely get involved. I believe the current channel, which I'm subscribed too (goodbye money) is going to continue showing games up until the christmas break here. Then it will cease operations and at that point I have to assume someone else will buy the rights to the games. As @JPRouve mentioned above it's likely to be Canal+, or at least that's what I've read here too. Presumably it will be a much reduced price which is very concerning for the small clubs here, but we'll have to see what happens. All clubs have been without fans for a while and will continue for at least a month (albeit with a winter break in there). Hope my local team is okay, they are already one of the lowest budget in the league.

 

[Dr. StrangeHate]

The best solution would be to let PL teams adopt Ligue 1 clubs. We can use them as a B team.

 

[adexkola]

The best solution would be to let PL teams adopt Ligue 1 clubs. We can use them as a B team.

 

[Vidyoyo]

The best solution would be to let PL teams adopt Ligue 1 clubs. We can use them as a B team.

Or an F team.

F standing for Farmers.

Because it's a Farmer's League

-Vidyoyo

 

[arthurka]

It has nothing to do with PSG. The LFP picked a very risky offer when at the time many told them that it was a bad idea because Mediapro wasn't a thing yet.

Getting more money for the teams is direct relation to PSG's one team league. To up the level other teams need better players. But I know PSG didn't pick the broadcaster.

 

[macheda14]

Or an F team.

F standing for Farmers.

Because it's a Farmer's League

-Vidyoyo

I prefer the Haiku:

Or they're an F team
F signifying Farmers.
It's a Farmers League.

 

[SuperiorXI]

Shite league so who would want to even watch it? No competition in there

 

[horsechoker]

Or an F team.

F standing for Farmers.

Because it's a Farmer's League

-Vidyoyo

Press F to pay respects