France: DAZN discounts Ligue 1
September 9, 2024
From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris
Sports streaming platform DAZN, which recently acquired Ligue 1 TV rights in France for €400 million per season, has announced a discount price on its Ligue 1 annual subscription fee less than a month into the new season.
From September 10th to 22nd, the monthly free subscription will be 50 per cent less expensive, dropping from €39.99 to €19.99 over the first two months, DAZN France’s CEO Brice Daumin confirmed to press agency AFP.
The platform is likely responding to pressure coming from a number of Ligue 1 football fans in France who have been vocal over the fees being too expensive, thus pushing them towards using illegal streaming services instead. Over 200,000 people were reported to have used Telegram, a popular hub for pirated content, to watch match Paris Saint-Germain vs Le Havre on August 14th.
“Piracy is theft. Behind it, there are criminal and mafia organisations. An entire ecosystem. Is under attack. It’s not just DAZN’s problem. This is the problem of all rights holders and content distributors,” commented Daumin. “DAZN isn’t more expensive than what may have existed in the past”.
DAZN holds the TV rights to eight matches per weekend, while pay-TV channel beIN Sports has acquired the remaining match for €100 million per year.
Vincent Labrune, the president of French football league LFP, puts his mandate back on the line on September 10th during the General Assembly. He is challenged by Cyril Linette, former Canal+ executive and general director of the PMU (sports and horse racing betting), but Labrune remains the favourite.