Ligue 1 side Reims President Jean-Pierre Caillot said "more than half of the clubs in Ligue 1 could become insolvent" in the coming months due to a lack of incoming TV rights money. Calliot, considered the "voice of Ligue 1 clubs" within the BOD of the French Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), the governing body of pro soccer in France, did "not hide his worries about the financial health of French soccer." Ligue 1 broadcast partner Mediapro has refused to pay its last two TV rights payments -- around €172M ($209M) each. Caillot said, "If the LFP can't secure another loan, which is far from assured at this point, I think that in February or March there will be many clubs that can't pay their players or workers" (LE PARISIEN, 12/6).
Mediapro currently is in mediation proceedings with the LFP regarding their rights contract, and sources said that the Spanish company "believes it doesn't owe" the LFP its second missed rights payment, which was due on Saturday. Under a record-breaking four-year deal that began this season, Mediapro is obligated to pay the LFP €780M ($946M) annually for the rights to the majority of Ligue 1 matches in France (AFP, 12/6).
Longtime broadcast partner Canal+ has "often been cited as the miracle solution" to the LFP's problems and could take over Mediapro's Ligue 1 rights if the Spanish company's contract with the LFP is terminated. But any deal with Canal+ "will certainly be for a lower price" and would "leave French clubs hungry" (LE PARISIEN, 12/6).
