Mediapro makes first payment for top-tier French football

Mediapro has made its first tranche of payment of top-tier French football rights, paying €172 million including tax for its 80% share of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 rights to the LFP, the French professional football league.

Overall, the LFP has received €256.5 million from broadcasters. Mediapro’s share excluding tax amounts to €143 million, while Canal+ has paid €56.4 million, beIN Sports €7.5 million and Free €7.1 million.

The transfer of funds to the LFP follows intense scepticism in France about whether Mediapro would be willing and able to make good its promises in the face of unpromising projections about how many subscribers would be attracted to an offer priced at around €25 a month.

Mediapro’s new service, Téléfoot, is scheduled to go on air on August 17, a few days after the football season begins in earnest.

The Spanish broadcaster and producer, whose entry into the French premium sports market has disrupted the traditional allocation of rights dominated by Canal+, recently bolstered its offering by striking a deal with Altice France that will enable it to air UEFA Champions League matches from the forthcoming season. the agreement enables Téléfoot and Altice’s RMC Sport service to co-broadcast matches from the 2020-21 season.

Canal+ for its part holds the rights to air 76 matches a season from Ligue 1, complemented by an offering that includes the English Premier League in its entirety.

BeIN Sports holds the rights to 20% of Ligue 2 matches, complementing a line-up that includes La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga. RMC Sport faces an uncertain future, however, with its key Champions League rights set to revert to Canal+ from next year.