Canal+ quits Ligue 1 broadcasting; Amazon swoops
June 14, 2021
In a last minute bid, Amazon Prime Video has acquired the rights to eight Ligue 1 fixtures a week for three seasons in France, for a reported €275 million a year. These are the games previously owned by Mediapro.
As a result the league’s long-standing broadcaster Canal+ has pulled out of its agreement to broadcast the other Ligue 1 matches. Going into the decisive league board meeting meeting, it was expected Canal+ and beIN Sports would get a new agreement.
The LFP is intending to hold Canal+ to its existing agreement for two Ligue 1 fixtures per matchweek, a deal worth €332 million per year.
This comes after the competition watchdog, the Autorité de la concurrence rejected the Canal Plus’ complaint against the league’s decision to exclude the broadcaster’s rights to two matches per week in an earlier unsuccessful auction of Mediapro’s rights.
Canal+ now says selling the rights to Amazon is “to the detriment of its historical partners Canal+ and beIN Sports”.