The conflict between the pro football league and Mediapro, the main broadcaster of French football since this summer, has taken a new step.
The LFP "put on notice" the broadcaster to settle its television rights deadlines and does not rule out turning to other operators.
The Professional Football League (LFP) has "put in default" Mediapro, the main broadcaster of the French Championship, to settle its television rights deadlines.
The LFP has not ruled out turning to other operators, according to a letter sent to the clubs and consulted Thursday by AFP.
The Sino-Spanish group, holder of most of the rights to Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 over the period 2020-2024 for more than 800 million euros per year, is behind on the payment of due dates early October, estimated by the French sports daily
L'Equipe
at 172 million euros.
Mediapro boss Jaume Roures has engaged in a standoff with the League, demanding a delay in payment - which he has been denied - and a renegotiation of lower rights, which Mediapro exploits through its new Téléfoot channel.
The LFP requested a loan to compensate for the non-payment of Mediapro
"We (...) have put them on formal notice to settle the deadlines of October 1 and 5. (...) Either a favorable outcome is found with Mediapro, or this is not the case, and it will be necessary to consider resumption of the contract by other operators ", explains in this letter the executive director general of the LFP Arnaud Rouger, saying moreover to have requested" a financing offer "to compensate the amounts not paid by Mediapro.
According to the letter from the LFP, Mediapro has entered into a mediation procedure with the Nanterre commercial court, which allows companies to negotiate with their creditors.
"The LFP did well, as the procedure requires, a proposal (validated by the Bureau) to the ad hoc representative. This was followed by a response from Mediapro which was totally unacceptable in view of the financial uncertainties for the clubs ", explains Arnaud Rouger.
"We therefore applied the contract that binds us with Mediapro and put them on notice to settle the dates of October 1 and 5, while activating the guarantee given by the parent company of the Mediapro group", the Chinese fund Orient Hontai Capital , writes Arnaud Rouger.
The board of directors of the LFP met Thursday morning to validate a loan aimed at compensating for the amounts that Mediapro refuses to pay to the clubs, of which about a third of the income, on average, depends on TV rights.