Supporters of French football will need to maintain their patience. On Monday evening, the National Assembly voted to reject an amendment that would have mandated the free-to-air broadcast of one Ligue 1 match each week of the championship season.

This proposal, which had previously passed through committee several weeks ago, was slated for integration into the new bill reforming professional sports. Its core objective was to enable a general television channel to air a single Ligue 1 fixture every weekend.

Deputies advocating for the amendment primarily sought to enhance the accessibility of French football. In their explanatory statement, they argued that the proliferation of broadcasters and subscription packages was alienating a significant portion of the fanbase from national competitions. The underlying concept involved creating a distinct package during future tender processes, allowing a single channel to retransmit one game per matchday. Proponents of the measure also believed that such increased exposure could serve as a deterrent against piracy. This proposition emerged at a time when fans are currently compelled to manage multiple subscription services to follow the entire championship.

LFP opposed the initiative

However, this particular option did not receive universal endorsement within professional football circles. Several club executives and the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) expressed concerns that a weekly free match might diminish the overall value of audiovisual rights. For clubs, already contending with a reduction in television revenues in recent years, the economic implications remained a paramount consideration. A free-to-air broadcast would have necessitated the creation of a new lot during rights tenders, without any guarantee of generating additional revenue streams. The rejection of this amendment therefore signifies that the broadcasting landscape for Ligue 1 will remain unchanged in the near term. The Ligue 1+ platform will continue to hold exclusive rights to all championship fixtures. While the current debate appears settled, the critical issue of French football’s accessibility is likely to re-emerge swiftly in future discussions surrounding television rights.

By Mariama Hamani — Analyst