In a white paper, French pay-TV channel Canal+ "suggested the establishment of a decree prohibiting a company connected to a Ligue 1 club to participate in a tender" for Professional Football League (LFP) rights, according to Anne-Yasmine Machet of L'EXPRESS. Canal+'s white paper read, "Qatar combines the qualities of seller and buyer of media rights to Ligue 1." Therefore, Canal+ "seeks to prohibit its biggest competitor, beIN Sport, from participating in the tender of the LFP rights," to be launched in '15. In a note written by Canal+ to the attention of the government, the pay-TV channel "denounced the 'conflict of interest'" of Qatar, which owns Ligue 1 side Paris St. Germain and beIN Sport. The white paper read, "Qatar presents three key levels of bargaining for Ligue 1 rights: it is the main seller, it is a major buyer and it can exert a decisive influence on the promoter." The only solution to this conflict of interest "is more or less the establishment of an order prohibiting a TV owner of a football club from participating in a tender for LFP rights." However, it is worth mentioning that Canal+ also owned PSG before it sold the club in '06 (L'EXPRESS, 1/7).
