Paris (AFP)

After being torn apart regarding the end of the season, French football is trying to agree on the thorny issue of the distribution of television rights for next season, those of the attractive contract signed with Mediapro. But unknowns persist ...

- Manna is no longer one -

Long gone are the days when French football leaders salivated in advance before the famous "annual billion" (1.217 billion euros, Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 included) obtained by the Professional Football League (LFP) during the 2020-2024 cycle tender.

The arrival of the Sino-Spanish broadcaster Mediapro seemed to provide more than 400 million euros of additional annual revenue compared to the previous contract, but the coronavirus pandemic has reshuffled the cards.

On the one hand, a large part of this additional 400 million will be used to start repaying the state guaranteed loan (PGE) of 224.5 million euros contracted by the LFP to relieve short-term treasuries.

And on the other hand, the conditions for starting next season (behind closed doors, possible postponements ...) leave doubts about the timetable, even the amount of the future contract.

"As long as this virus is above our heads, there is a threat," stressed last week Bernard Caïazzo, the president of the Premier League union, majority in L1, at a press conference.

"If there is a second wave of the virus, what happens with TV rights?" Wonders the president of Lorient Loïc Féry, conceding in a word that it may be necessary to review some contractual provisions in order to avoid a unilateral suspension of payments, as Canal + and beIN Sports have done this season, in the event of a further interruption of competitions.

"The industry must find a constructive solution to manage this type of unforeseen event (...) We can make mistakes once collectively, but making the same mistake twice would be a lack of lucidity", continues the boss of the Breton club , promoted to L1.

- L1 agrees -

Between presidents of Ligue 1, the distribution method of the new contract seems to be consensus.

An agreement, revealed by the daily L'Equipe, had already been found in March, at the dawn of the crisis, between the 20 elite clubs to distribute the additional 400 million euros annually in a perfectly equal manner.

This agreement was validated Friday at the college of L1, meeting of the 20 presidents, we learned from a source close to the file. Small addition: a section of additional conditions have been integrated, relating to a modification of the governance of the LFP more favorable to Ligue 1 clubs. A whole other debate, for the moment largely delayed by the news ...

The agreement, which also provides that the international rights of the L1 (approximately EUR 60 million per year) will be exclusively divided between nine teams with a "European vocation", must now be adopted Wednesday morning by the Board of Directors of the LFP.

- L2 wants its share -

Another subject, which will be debated at a general meeting on Wednesday afternoon, the distribution of TV rights between L1 and L2.

The clubs of the second division, currently subject to a ceiling of its annual TV rights to 110 million euros, agreed last week to request an uncapping.

"Today, the rights of Ligue 2 represent approximately 13.6% (of the total amount of TV rights). Uncapping was requested on a percentage basis of 12.4%, which makes 162 million per year" in the new contract, explains to AFP Claude Michy, president of the UCPF, the union of a majority of the clubs of L2.

Some 162 million euros from which it will be necessary to deduct "7.5 M EUR to help the National (3rd div.) And 7.5 M EUR to support the clubs that descend in National", according to the leader.

Problem: the L2 does not decide alone. L1 clubs will have to agree because unanimity is required.

To convince elite residents, second division clubs also offer promises related to the governance of the LFP. A sort of global "deal" in which "the L1 gives more resources to the L2, and in return recovers more powers in the instances", summarizes a club executive.

"But never have the Ligue 2 clubs prevented the Ligue 1 clubs from directing what they had to manage," tempers Claude Michy. Rather reassuring to get the voices of the elite?

© 2020 AFP