Canal + put pressure on French football by asking for a new call for tenders for the TV rights of Ligue 1. For sports economist Christophe Lepetit, interviewed Wednesday by Europe 1 the encrypted channel "puts the Professional Football League face up to its responsibilities. "

INTERVIEW

The battle for French football's TV rights has seen a new twist.

After Mediapro's default in payment, Canal + in turn engages in a standoff with the Professional Football League (LFP).

The boss of the encrypted channel Maxime Saada has indeed requested a new call for tenders for Ligue 1 matches, posing the threat of a drastic drop in revenues allocated to clubs.

Sports economist Christophe Lepetit analyzed Canal + 's strategy on Europe 1 on Wednesday morning on the

Culture media program

.

"It is perhaps to make everyone face up to their responsibilities. I think that there have been discussions in recent weeks, and that these discussions have reached an impasse. Coming out of the woods, Maxime Saada puts the Professional football league faced with its responsibilities, ”he analyzes.

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"Canal puts pressure on all market players"

Since the Mediapro fiasco, French football has been counting on Canal + to negotiate a global agreement to take over the TV rights of Ligue 1. But no agreement between the pro football league and the encrypted channel has finally been concluded. .

"As the League does not accept Canal's offer, the encrypted channel responds by telling him to go and consult the market to see if their product is worth more," said Christophe Lepetit.

Canal + prefers to take the risk of a new call for tenders, which could expose it to leave empty-handed.

"Canal + puts pressure on all market players, who can position themselves if they wish on the rights of Ligue 1", judges the economist of sport.

But according to observers, few other broadcasters seem able to invest massively in French football.

Unless a newcomer (Amazon, the DAZN platform ...) creates a surprise.

Like Mediapro in its day ...