YouTube Gets Four-Year Deal To Broadcast Highlights Of All Ligue 1 Matches Worldwide

The French Football League (LFP) has agreed to a four-year deal with YouTube, which will give the "video platform of Google" the rights to air summaries of all Ligue 1 matches worldwide, according to Fabien Soyez of LE FIGARO. The prior deal between the two organizations was limited to the French territory. When the Ligue 1 kicks off on Aug. 10, YouTube will "diffuse a magazine, with the best goals, presentations of players and match summaries that will last five minutes." The short highlight shows will be free of charge. YouTube competitors Dailymotion and L'Equipe.fr "will also be allowed to diffuse these images" but only on the French territory. YouTube will be the only one with worldwide rights for the next four years. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. For the LFP, the new contract should "make the French league more visible abroad" (LE FIGARO, 7/25). LES ECHOS' Fabienne Schmitt reported that a judicial representative for the LFP commented the deal was a first for the league. The representative said, "It is the first time that a football league signs this type of partnership. One of the many innovations in the deal consisted in being able to make an exception to the usual practice of selling sporting rights territory by territory" (LES ECHOS, 7/25).