French national assembly to vote on free-to-air Ligue 1 match each week

After several postponements, the National Assembly finally reviews this Monday the proposed law (PPL) aimed at reforming French football. The text contains an amendment to broadcast one match of the French championship per round on a free-to-air channel.

“This 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 deputies behind the amendment explain: “The multiplication of broadcasters for different sports competitions, and thus the multiplication of paid subscriptions, strongly distances spectators from sporting events and encourages the development of piracy. To allow access to these professional competitions for the greatest number, it would be appropriate to provide, at each commercialisation of television broadcasting rights, a lot for the free-to-air broadcast of one match per week. Broadcasting one Ligue 1 match per weekend on free TV would undeniably 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 deputy 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. “Out of those 22 million, only one million subscribe to Ligue1+. There is enormous potential to capture a new audience. If they are told it’s free, maybe one, two, or four million would watch on television.”

The LFP disagrees, opposing the amendment on the grounds that free-to-air broadcasts could reduce the value of broadcasting rights, which account for over 50% of club revenues. Lobbying by the league and television channels has been intense since the announcement and continues up to this review.

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 Monday’s session in the hemicycle, the bill can still be modified by the joint committee (CMP) scheduled for July 21. The text covers a wide range: combating piracy, strengthening the role of federations and the Ministry of Sports in the governance of professional leagues, regulated redistribution of audiovisual revenues, and capped compensation for executives. Attempts to reach the LFP, club presidents, and Ligue1+ were unsuccessful.