No more football evenings in front of the TV. Ligue 1 is stopped, like most other football championships, because of the covid-19 epidemic. For the channels which broadcast these meetings, the shortfall is considerable. Canal +, the main broadcaster of Ligue 1, has decided to stop paying for matches that do not take place.
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The historic French football broadcaster pays 550 million euros a year to broadcast certain Ligue 1 games. The channel therefore decided to stop paying, notably suspending a payment of around 100 million euros for the month April. A decision very badly perceived by the leaders of the clubs which, without TV rights would inevitably put the key under the door.
Player pay deadlines
The clubs must not only face the brutal drying up of their revenues but also the deadlines of the players' salaries. All have gone to partial unemployment, which does not solve the problem: the average salary in Ligue 1, not counting international stars, is around 50,000 euros, ten times the maximum of partial unemployment. Even if the players make efforts, the situation will quickly become untenable.
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Canal + fully accepts this decision, citing "the survival of the business". The chain's relations with French football should be tightened a little more. The Professional Football League (LFP) is preparing a response to what it considers a betrayal given the context. In short, the showdown is just beginning.