Ligue 1 fans face continued paywalls as free match proposal rejected

Supporters will have to wait longer. On Monday evening, the French National Assembly rejected an amendment that would have required the free-to-air broadcast of one Ligue 1 match per matchday.

This measure, adopted several weeks ago in committee, was meant to be part of the legislation reforming professional sport. It aimed to allow a channel to air a Ligue 1 game every weekend.

Lawmakers in favour of the amendment wanted to improve access to French football. In the explanatory statement, they argued that the multiplication of broadcasters and subscriptions was alienating many supporters from domestic competitions. The idea was to create a specific package in future bidding rounds so that a channel could broadcast one match per matchday. Supporters of the measure also believed such exposure could help combat piracy. This proposal came as fans today need multiple subscriptions to follow the entire championship.

The LFP opposed it

This option did not have unanimous support within professional football. Several executives and the Professional Football League feared that a free match every week would reduce the value of audiovisual rights. For clubs already facing a decline in television revenue in recent years, the economic concern remained central. A free-to-air broadcast would have required creating a new package in the bidding process, with no guarantee of additional income. The rejection of the amendment means that Ligue 1 broadcasting will not change in the short term. The Ligue 1+ platform will keep all championship fixtures. Even though the debate seems closed for now, the issue of access to French football could quickly return to the table in upcoming discussions about TV rights.