Ligue 1’s home broadcast cope with DAZN solely began this season and is because of run till 2029 (Valery HACHE)
French Ligue 1 golf equipment on Tuesday voted in favour of breaking their home tv cope with DAZN on the finish of this season, leaving them going through an unsure future.
The broadcaster rejected a proposal from the league, whose golf equipment voted for the massive half in favour of ending the deal after the breakdown in relations between the 2 events.
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The choice by the golf equipment plunges the league deeper right into a disaster which has been ongoing for a number of years, since Spanish firm Mediapro pulled out of a document broadcast deal in 2020, simply months after it got here into impact.
The DAZN deal was solely agreed final July, a few weeks forward of this season beginning, with the British streaming platform changing earlier rights holders Canal Plus and Amazon.
DAZN has been displaying eight out of 9 Ligue 1 matches per week, with Qatar’s beIN Sports activities broadcasting the opposite recreation, for the overall mixed value of 500 million euros ($564m) yearly.
That represented a major discount from the earlier deal, price 624 million euros a yr.
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DAZN is because of pay 400 million euros per yr, with the contract in place till 2029, however the settlement permits both get together to again out on the finish of subsequent season.
The French league (LFP) mentioned in a press release that it anticipated its broadcast companion “to proceed to hold out all of its obligations” in the meanwhile.
It mentioned that mediation between the events, which began final month, had not enabled them to discover a answer to their variations.
DAZN was late in paying an instalment of 35 million euros firstly of this yr and is because of pay two extra instalments price a complete of 140 million euros, on the finish of this month and in June.
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– Compensation –
The league voted in favour of breaking the contract and proposing a monetary compensation package deal to DAZN, of 140 million euros on the finish of the season and between 110-125 million euros for subsequent season, sources with information of the discussions informed AFP.
That proposal was turned down by DAZN, which is searching for some 573 million euros from the LFP for what it sees as not fulfilling the obligations of their contract.
DAZN is known to solely have round 500,000 paying subscribers to its Ligue 1 protection and blames the league for not doing extra to dam unlawful streaming websites.
It additionally says sure golf equipment haven’t cooperated in serving to them make their product extra engaging, for instance by blocking requests for entry.
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The state of affairs leaves the golf equipment, already in a fragile place financially, going through as much as a tough future.
They’re depending on earnings from tv, however don’t have any clear thought what that earnings shall be for the foreseeable future.
Followers, in the meantime, have no idea for sure how they may be capable of watch matches after the top of this season.
The French league’s home broadcast deal is price significantly lower than its main European rivals, most notably the English Premier League.
Sure golf equipment have pushed for the league to arrange its personal streaming service, though one supply near the discussions acknowledged that may supply little or no assured earnings initially.
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