2023-11-02 08:34:56
After suffering a first failure in the sale of its national TV rights, the Professional Football League (LFP) is testing itself internationally with the submission of offers on Thursday for the period 2024-2029, hoping for a significant increase compared to the low current amount. On October 17, the prospect of the billion euros, so coveted by the president of the LFP Vincent Labrune, had become significantly more distant, none of the domestic lots having found a buyer at the asking price (825 million euros in total ).
While awaiting the uncertain outcome of the over-the-counter negotiations with the candidates on the French market, the League would welcome a successful conclusion for its rights abroad (Ligue 1, Ligue 2, Champions Trophy), currently worth around 80 million euros annually and owned by beIN Sports. An amount which remains very far from the level of its main neighbors and competitors (160 million for Germany, 670 million euros for Italy, almost 900 million for Spain, almost 1.8 billion for ‘England).
The room for progress therefore appears significant for this consultation open to both broadcasters and agencies. It remains to be seen whether the LFP will be able to get closer to its objective, set at 200 million euros, or whether it will suffer a new snub. “It seems unrealistic to reach 200 million euros,” analyzes Pierre Maës, sports television rights consultant. The football offering is too fragmented, there are many competitions and there is a gap widening between premium rights, namely the Champions League and the Premier League, and everything else, which is trying for all it’s worth. to survive. »
The stoning of OL buses? “Not good” for negotiations
Philippe Bailly, president of NPA Conseil, a firm specializing in audiovisual economics, is not more optimistic. “Overall the football TV rights landscape is stagnant,” he believes. The only country where rights have increased is Saudi Arabia (which recruited players at high prices on the European market last summer). »
The context is also far from favorable for the LFP. The inability of French football to sell itself on the French scene does not constitute a good signal for possible foreign buyers, just like the departures of the two PSG superstars Lionel Messi and Neymar, Ligue 1 now finding itself with only one star of global dimension, Kylian Mbappé.
To make matters worse, the image of Ligue 1 was seriously damaged on Sunday by the stone crushing of the bus from Lyon to Marseille, the injury of Lyon coach Fabio Grosso and the postponement of the OM-OL meeting. “This has a marginal impact on the price but it gives a general feeling of unprofessionalism, it’s not good,” believes Pierre Maës. The negotiations are going to be tough.
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