McDonald's considering exit from Ligue 1, threatening LFP with €30m annual loss

Olivier Bramly has barely had time to settle in. Officially taking office on Thursday as head of LFP Media, the commercial subsidiary of the Ligue de football professionnel, the new director general immediately inherits a high-stakes file: McDonald’s, Ligue 1’s title partner since 2024, appears reluctant to extend its contract, which runs until June 2027.

The fast-food chain currently pays €30 million per season to the LFP to associate its name with the French championship. A considerable sum, which already represented nearly double what the previous title partner, Uber Eats, paid at €16 million annually. According to Etienne Moatti, negotiations have been underway for several months to try to renew the agreement, but they have not succeeded: McDonald’s reportedly believes it is paying too much given the visibility offered by the competition.

Bramly succeeds Nicolas de Tavernost, who resigned, and comes from the sports marketing sector. His priority will be to convince McDonald’s to maintain its commitment, or to find a brand willing to invest an equivalent sum to put its name on Ligue 1 — a task that observers already judge difficult in the current context.

The television rights file constitutes the other structural project awaiting the new head of LFP Media. The exclusivity granted to Ligue 1+, the platform launched by the LFP itself due to the lack of a broadcaster willing to pay the premium price, expires in 2029. From next autumn, the league could begin a new cycle of negotiations, with contacts already established, according to L’Équipe, with platforms such as Netflix, Paramount or Amazon.

Two files, two deadlines, and immediate financial pressure for a manager barely discovering his new role.