Paris (AFP)

Will Téléfoot subscribers be able to get reimbursed?

The Football League's decision to end its contract with Mediapro on Friday will have consequences for consumers who have subscribed to the offers of the diffuser of the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 championships.

"As soon as you no longer see anything on the air, you will be able to react," Raphaël Bartlomé, legal manager of the UFC Que Choisir, told AFP.

The channel said on Friday it would broadcast the competition until at least December 23.

Concretely, when the subscribers notice the end of the broadcasting of the championship, and whatever their mode of subscription, they will be able to stop paying the monthly payments, in particular by putting an end to the banking regulations.

"There is no legal risk. It is a principle of the civil code, transversal in all contracts", assures Mr. Bartlomé.

He advises all the same out of "prudence" to send an email to the customer service to inform them of the stop of the payments.

How many people are affected?

Mediapro boss Jaume Roures indicated in October that Téléfoot had 600,000 subscribers who subscribed to the channel's various offers.

Namely 25.90 euros per month with a one-year commitment, or 29.90 euros per month without commitment.

- "Obstacle course" -

According to the legal manager of UFC Que Choisir, "the most perilous situation" concerns subscribers who have paid "in advance" for a subscription live to the Mediapro channel, especially if the company goes into liquidation.

"It's going to be the obstacle course to get something back, the probability is very, very low," says Raphaël Bartlomé.

However, most of the subscriptions come from internet service providers: Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free have all signed distribution agreements with the Sino-Spanish group.

"Obviously if Mediapro stops broadcasting, does not broadcast matches, and that over a month our customers do not have the service to which they have subscribed, they will not be billed", we assure the operators. , still awaiting official notification of the channel shutdown.

"Our wish and primary concern, whatever the outcome of what will happen, is to ensure that our customers do not miss a day in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2", also indicates Orange, the leading fixed operator with 11.8 million subscribers.

Mediapro's exit has yet to be validated by the Nanterre Commercial Court, which had initiated a conciliation procedure on October 19.

It will then be a question of knowing precisely the conditions, and the possible payment of compensation in exchange for promises of non-prosecution, in particular from operators.

- Frontline operators -

The French Telecoms Federation, which defends the interests of operators, "urges the Professional Football League that the rights (of) distributors and their customers be preserved, and whatever the sequence of events, the stake of our sector remains the protection of its subscribers ".

However, possible "hiccups" may arise for some subscribers if their operator's customer service is not responsive enough, alert UFC Que Choisir.

The offers resulting from the agreement between Mediapro and Altice (owner among others of SFR, but also of RMC Sport), which notably allowed Téléfoot to co-broadcast the Champions League in 2020-2021, also risk causing complications, according to Mr. Bartlomé.

Thus, in the case of the combined RMC Sport - Téléfoot offer, it will be necessary "to find an alternative solution because the disappearance of Téléfoot would legally be a substantial modification" of the contract.

Ultimately, a buyer will undoubtedly be interested in the Telefoot customer database and will be encouraged to propose new offers.

"The real doubt is the time it will take and the disenchantment or disinterest of subscribers" that may result, still believes Mr. Barlomé.

© 2020 AFP