HASfter Canal+, Orange TPS, beIN Sports, Mediapro and Amazon Prime, will French soccer expertise a brand new main participant for its TV rights? While the negotiations for the interval 2024-2028 on the broadcasting of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 will quickly ship their verdict, DAZN may nicely be a critical candidate.
Already within the pipeline of broadcasters more likely to host the French championship throughout the newest renewal, in 2021, the English are exhibiting up.
“DAZN will not be the white knight of French football finances”
Launched in 2015, DAZN goals to be the Netflix for sports activities lovers. The London-based firm is launching an assault on the thorny sports activities rights market, which may typically be worthwhile but in addition an actual quagmire, just like the Mediapro fiasco throughout the 2020-2021 season. Champions League, Serie A, La Liga but in addition boxing: DAZN managers see broad and place themselves above all all through the world.
For Martin Ross, journalist specializing in TV rights at SportBusiness, there is no such thing as a doubt that Ligue 1 is their subsequent main goal. “DAZN is clearly preparing the ground to try to penetrate the French market with flagship rights. In addition to aligning with Canal+ on rights and distribution, their managers have negotiated distribution agreements (Bouygues Telecom, Orange, SFR, etc.) and recruited marketing teams in recent months. So far, only the major sports rights are missing. Ligue 1 has been identified to penetrate the French market but we should not expect an irrational offer either. »
This is precisely the whole question: how much is the French championship worth today? If Vincent Labrune, president of the Professional Football League (LFP), cherishes the sweet dream of seeing TV rights reach one billion euros per season, in reality, it is much more complicated. In terms of attractiveness and spectacle, Ligue 1 was clearly left behind by the Premier League, but also by the other major European championships. France also fears the lack of headliners: after the departures of Neymar and Messi, Kylian Mbappé could follow in the coming months.
“Don’t expect DAZN to be the white knight of French football finances,” says Martin Ross. Its proprietor has the funds however completely no urge for food to keep up bleeding money circulate. » In this sense, the English broadcaster would work in complement relatively than going it alone. “DAZN can definitely set up itself in a tender French market missing competitors. But we are able to think about that that is executed in collaboration with current gamers like Canal+, relatively than in competitors with them. »
Already an settlement in place with Canal+
DAZN has already established hyperlinks with the principle protagonists of French TV rights: for a number of months the platform has been providing the 2 matches per day broadcast on Canal+, particularly the Saturday night poster and the Sunday afternoon match at 5 p.m. h 05. More just lately, DAZN has simply introduced that it’ll additionally present its subscribers two National matches every day. On the appliance, you can even see fight sports activities, the NFL, the Women’s Champions League but in addition the Belgian championship. The subscription is at the moment at 9.99 euros per 30 days with out dedication, earlier than growing to 14.99 €/month in July.
�� The CANAL+ Group declares the arrival in the present day in France of the DAZN sports activities service in its sports activities gives (at no further price for subscribers), in addition to the distribution of the CANAL+ Ligue 1 channel within the DAZN app.
With this partnership, the CANAL+ Group consolidates its… pic.twitter.com/dKaK1Djyji
— CANAL+ Group (@canalplusgroupe) August 12, 2023
However, this new rising participant additionally raises doubts, notably relating to its monetary administration, as Martin Ross demonstrates. “DAZN has accumulated losses exceeding $6 billion over the last four reported financial years (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022). It is desperate to become profitable, in part to attract outside investment and possibly return to the idea of an IPO. The French market and consumers must not be fooled by DAZN’s past. It’s not the “Netflix of sports.” This mannequin didn’t work and DAZN elevated its subscription costs, diversifying its income sources (tv, sports activities betting and e-commerce) in an try to grow to be worthwhile. » While over-the-counter negotiations proceed between the broadcasters and the League, it stays to be seen what function DAZN will play exactly on this umpteenth recomposition of TV rights for French soccer.
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