LFP brings forward Ligue 1 TV rights auction by two years, Ligue 1+ in jeopardy

The LFP is considering relaunching the auction of Ligue 1 television rights as early as 2027, two years before the originally scheduled deadline. According to L’Équipe, Olivier Bramly, chief executive of LFP Media, presented this intention to the League’s board of directors, paving the way for a 2027-2032 cycle that could spell the premature end of Ligue 1+, the in-house channel launched barely a year ago.

The original timeline, set by Bramly’s predecessor Nicolas de Tavernost, had planned for a bidding process in 2029. But the clubs’ financial situation has accelerated matters. Since Ligue 1+ took over from Mediapro, Prime Video, Canal+, DAZN and beIN Sports, the revenue distributed to elite clubs has collapsed: the sports daily mentions “just a few million euros per season” for each club, a sum far removed from the amounts received under previous contracts.

Armed with a new legal provision allowing the commercialization of rights as a single package, LFP Media hopes to attract an operator capable of bidding significantly higher. According to L’Équipe, exploratory discussions have already taken place with Canal+, RMC Sport, as well as digital platforms such as Netflix, Apple and Amazon Prime Video.

Ligue 1+ is not yet condemned, however. The channel could survive if a broadcaster agreed to acquire exclusive distribution without buying the rights themselves — a scenario that would allow the LFP to retain control of the content while guaranteeing a wider audience. The question remains whether the market will respond with conditions deemed attractive, as Ligue 1 struggles to return to the level of rights it enjoyed before the Mediapro crisis.