ON DECRYPT
The chains are firing their weapons. Since Monday, they can officially apply to obtain the rights, average big under, of the league of the Champions and the Europa League from 2021 and for the following three seasons. In France, several actors are fighting for the song: Canal +, BeInSports, RMC Sports or the newcomer, Mediapro, which obtained the rights of Ligue 1 from 2020. "I think we will attend a call rather unprecedented offers, "said Virgile Caillet, General Delegate of the Union Sport and Cycle, invited from Europe 1 Monday morning. "There will probably be a before and after," he prophesies.
"We have already experienced a first earthquake last year with the attribution of TV rights of Ligue 1, which saw the arrival of Mediapro, this Sino-Spanish UFO.Bein managed to survive and has several posters in the On the other hand, exit Canal +, RMLC did not even participate in the game, so we see that we have a first recomposition of the market that will take place ", recalls Virgile Caillet. "And there with the rights of the Champions League, we can imagine that there is damage somewhere, chains that would not survive or that would have to be ally.So we will have a real recomposition of the market . "
"The greater fool theory"
It will be understood, many things depend on the attitude of Mediapro. "We will wait to hear this call for tenders in the Champions League If Mediapro gets something structuring and solid enough for its channel, we launch the chain we unwind." Still decrypts Virgile Caillet. "If on the other hand they get nothing, we can imagine that it happens behind alliances and resales rights League 1".
For Pierre Maes, another guest from Europe 1, the strategy of Mediapro is simple: "If Mediapro is so shy about the launch of the channel is that they do not want to launch a chain", summarizes the author of The television rights business of football, investigating an explosive bubble. "The perfect thing for Mediapro is to find someone to buy them rights, they're brokers, they're agents before they're chain creators, they'll only create the channel if they do not." can not sell the rights. "
And the specialist to unveil a theory on which the TV rights market works: "The market on a bubble." One of the explanations is the greater fool theory, which means in fact finds a more stupid than you, "explains Pierre Maes. "So the market often is based on this logic: 'I buy the rights and I find a more con than me who will pay more to buy me' '.