The alliance between Canal+ and BeIN Sports has taken lead in the wing: the Qatari channel assigned Thursday July 15 Canal+ before the Nanterre Commercial Court to force it to pay 332 million euros for the two games per dayof Ligue 1 (L1) to which the chain is held, according to a source close to negotiations, thus opening a new judicial front in the file of television rights.
Since mid-June and the allocation by the Professional Football League (LFP) of 80 % of L1 matches to the American giant Amazon Prime, Canal+ does not takeoff.The encrypted channel finds itself to spend 332 million euros for two matches per day of L1 (those on Saturday evening and Sunday at 5 p.m.), while Amazon will broadcast eight matches per day for 259 million euros."An economic distortion that cannot suit anyone.The LFP knows, the diffusers know it, ”says a source close to the two broadcasters.
Canal+ had however done everything to avoid being in this situation by seizing the commercial court and the competition authority, so that the lot including the two matches (lot 3) was put back into play during the call tooffers from mid-June, following the failure of the old diffuser, Mediapp.But she had been dismissed twice.
"A dangerous tango"
A few hours after the award of the matches by the LFP to Amazon, Canal+ had announced with a crash its desire to withdraw from the L1.Except that Canal+ is linked with BeIN Sports, which in 2018 undertaken her the two games she broadcasts.And it's beIN SPORTS that directly pays the LFP."Since mid-June, it's a dangerous tango between Bein and Canal, or a three-fluctuating LFP," summarizes a market expert who wishes to remain anonymous.
Tuesday, the Vivendi group channel had sent a letter to BeIN Sports, explaining that he wanted to suspend his contract with the Qatari channel - an option that obviously does not suit the ally, since 2018, of Canal+.But the encrypted channel was not satisfied with this letter, since it did not honor the first trafficking in the contract with BeIN Sports, which amounts to nearly 500,000 euros."It's marginal with the contract, but it is a first failure," said the source.
"This is a complicated situation, for Canal, which is at war with the LFP, but which by refusing to pay puts its partner in order," summarizes a source close to the sports authorities.The fact remains that this first sprain in the contract will have pushed the Qatari channel to react.
Joints by AFP, neither Canal+ nor BeIN Sports wished to comment.On August 5, Canal+ was supposed to make BeIN Sports a second payment of several tens of millions of euros, so that the Qatari channel then pays the LFP.The courts should therefore give an orientation of what could happen to resumption of the championship, which must take place on August 6.
The world with AFP
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