Cyrille de la Morinerie // Photo credit: MATTHIEU MIRVILLE / DPPI VIA AFP 6:22 a.m., February 16, 2024
Kylian Mbappé will pack his bags and leave PSG at the end of the season, to join, probably, Real Madrid. An announcement which comes at the worst time for French football which is losing its headliner while it is in the middle of negotiating its TV rights.
Global star Kylian Mbappé was the main selling point of French football to broadcasters. Bad news for Ligue 1, which hoped to exceed one billion euros per season and which has been struggling for months to sell its TV rights for the period 2024-2029.
Without Mbappé, difficult to reach the billion euros
Without Kylian Mbappé, this prospect seems to be fading away, but despite everything, the French will continue to watch Ligue 1. Television channels therefore remain interested in broadcasting championship matches in France. But after announcing to the president of Paris Saint-Germain of its intention to leave the capital club, the League will have more difficulty selling its rights abroad.
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“Ligue 1 has until now been able to have Messi, Neymar, Mbappé and tomorrow, it will no longer have Kylian Mbappé. The question will be to know who will be the headliner”, explains the sports economist, Vincent Chaudel . “One of the difficulties with international TV rights for Ligue 1 is the weakness of Paris Saint-Germain’s competitors,” he adds.
The only good news is that Ligue 1 is the European championship which spent the most during the winter transfer window. Some clubs like Olympique Lyonnais are more attractive. But the departure of the Parisian striker will not help the leaders of French football to make up the ground with the English neighbor, considered the best championship in the world and which can be proud of having the other mega football star: Erling Haaland.