Paris (AFP)

Mediapro's channel, Telefoot, on Friday obtained an extension to broadcast L1 until February 3, while the Sino-Spanish group has not had TV rights for more than a month.

Despite the call for tenders launched by the LFP supposed to quickly resolve the issue, this pattern is likely to last.

The divorce continues ... The fear of the black screen stretches in an unexpected way the relationship yet officially ended between French football and Telefoot which should normally stop broadcasting L1 and L2 matches on January 31.

The channel of the Sino-Spanish operator has gleaned three more days and could "continue to broadcast even after this date", according to a source close to the matter with in particular the shock OM-Paris SG in sight on February 7.

This agreement acts in any case a very unique and paradoxical situation which wants that 80% of the days of L1 are diffused, "but that the cash does not return", entrusts a source close to the LFP.

- "Unsuccessful" -

Officially, the LFP has left until February 1 so that potential buyers of TV rights, left vacant since December 22, can apply to recover 80% of the L1 and L2 matches, which Mediapro had bought 800 million euros by year.

And she left until February 5 to designate a possible buyer.

Except that one of the most likely scenarios is that of an unsuccessful tender.

"There is a very good chance that the reserve price set by the LFP will not be reached", judge Arnaud Simon, former general manager of Eurosport and now a consultant.

The arrival of Amazon, which, according to some media, could perhaps make an offer for one of the vacant lots, does not seem a priori a credible option to save French football either.

"In Italy, everyone was saying Amazon was going to participate in the Serie A tender, and they didn't. It's not their strategy to invest in football for the long term ", assures Pierre Maes, author of a book on the TV rights business.

Amazon, holder of around twenty Premier League matches in England and a few Bundesliga matches, has in fact never bought the rights to a championship.

"I do not have a crystal ball, but we are going towards that, the call for tenders was made too quickly, the legal context is not clarified," recalls Arnaud Simon.

Canal + has in fact already taken legal action to contest the "market consultation" launched by the LFP, casting doubt on the legal soundness of the call for tenders, enough to curb some ambitions.

"It's as if you wanted to buy an apartment, but the apartment next door, the owner attacked the developer and that could jeopardize your purchase. Well, you don't want to buy anymore" , summarizes Arnaud Simon.

"The reserve price will not be reached except unlikely surprise", corroborates Pierre Maes.

- Canal "torpedoed" the tender -

And if ever a new entrant manages to recover the rights - a very unlikely scenario - Canal + should not remain inactive.

"He will also attack dry", assures the source close to the LFP.

"What Canal has done is still a way of torpedoing the call for tenders," says Arnaud Simon.

If no buyer is chosen, the LFP will then have to relaunch negotiations by mutual agreement.

"We will return to the starting point with much more tense negotiations between Canal and the LFP, we will have just lost a month," anticipates Pierre Maes.

Can the LFP then change operator during this period, choose one that has not bought the rights, and moreover capable of broadcasting matches?

"It obviously seems complicated", assures Arnaud Simon.

For now, Telefoot is still garnering "a few subscriptions", according to a source familiar with the matter.

Mediapro must continue to cover the cost of the technical coverage of the matches and the operation of its channel, which amounts to around 4 million euros per month.

"But there they are not losing money," assures a source with knowledge of the case.

"It suits Mediapro well this situation", concludes Pierre Maes.

© 2021 AFP