The National Assembly is reviewing a bill on Monday aimed at reforming professional football, which notably includes broadcasting one Ligue 1 match per matchday on free-to-air television – a move opposed by the LFP.
A Ligue 1 match on free-to-air every week soon? After several delays, the National Assembly is finally examining the proposed law (PPL) this Monday, which aims to reform French football. The bill includes an amendment to broadcast one match from the French championship per matchday on a free channel.
“It would undeniably contribute to the exposure of national football”
Currently, watching a Ligue 1 match requires a subscription to the Ligue1+ platform, starting at €15 per month. The platform has about one million subscribers. “The proliferation of broadcasters for various sports competitions, and thus the multiplication of paid subscriptions, strongly distances spectators from sporting events and encourages the growth of piracy,” explained the deputies who filed this amendment. “To allow the greatest number of people access to these professional competitions, it would be appropriate to provide, each time television broadcasting rights are marketed, a package for the free-to-air broadcast of one match per week. Broadcasting one Ligue 1 match free-to-air each weekend would undoubtedly contribute to the exposure of national football. This proposal comes from the report of the information mission on audiovisual broadcasting rights for sporting events, led by MP Cédric Roussel in 2021.”
“Two years ago, the Professional Football League (LFP) estimated that 22 million French people were interested in Ligue 1,” recalls sports economist Pierre Rondeau. “Of those 22 million, there are one million subscribers to Ligue1+. There is enormous potential to capture a new audience. If you tell them it’s free, maybe one, two, or four million would watch television.”
The LFP does not share this view. It opposes the amendment, arguing that free-to-air broadcasts could lower the value of broadcasting rights, which account for more than 50% of clubs’ revenues. The lobbying efforts by the league and television channels with MPs have been intense since this announcement and leading up to this examination.
The PPL was already adopted by the Senate last year, then by a commission at the National Assembly in May (where this amendment was added). After passing through the hemicycle this Monday, the bill can still be modified by the Joint Committee (CMP) scheduled for July 21. The text covers a broad spectrum: anti-piracy measures, a strengthened role for federations and the Ministry of Sports in governing professional leagues, regulated redistribution of audiovisual revenues, and capped remuneration for executives. Attempts to reach the LFP, club presidents, and Ligue1+ for comment were unsuccessful.
