The exit of Ligue 1 broadcast partner Mediapro is a "bombshell for French clubs," who now "must prepare to absorb significant losses" as the French Ligue de Football Professionnel searches for a replacement. Mediapro had signed a contract worth €830M ($1.01B) a year for the rights to the majority of Ligue 1 and 2 matches in France form '20-24, but it "will only pay the league" €100M ($121M) in severance on top of the €243M ($295M) it had already paid for this season. Ligue 1 side Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas is "anticipating a hole of '300 to 400 million euros [$364M-486M].'" He said, "You can't exclude the possibility that big clubs, like PSG, among others, will take over the ownership and distribution of their own rights" (LE MONDE, 12/13).
Sources said that longtime Ligue 1 broadcast partner Canal+ "could make an offer" of €590M ($717M) to replace Mediapro. But that total "would include" the €330M ($401M) the net already pays the LFP for the rights to two Ligue 1 matches per round. In that scenario, the LFP "would bring in at most" €858M ($1.04B) for the '19-20 season from all of its broadcast partners, which would mean a "loss of at least" €373M ($453M) for this season (L'EQUIPE, 12/14).
Meanwhile, PSG President Nasser al-Khelaifi during an LFP BOD meeting last week asked for an "investigation into the Mediapro affair," which could be the "first step leading to legal action" (L'EQUIPE, 12/14).
