Goodbye Ligue 1 Uber Eats, here is Ligue 1 McDonald's. The French Professional Football League (LFP) has succeeded in a lucrative operation by signing a "naming" contract with the American fast food brand for the next three seasons.  

This partnership should bring it 30 million euros per year, double the current contract linking it to Uber Eats, according to a source close to the matter.  

“The leading French restaurateur established in more than 1,150 municipalities, with two million meals served daily, McDonald's is joining forces with the number one show in France,” McDonald's and the LFP said in a press release.

McDonald's is already a partner of numerous multidisciplinary professional clubs, and financially supports many amateur sports competitions in France.

“A nice move carried out by the LFP”

While it is engaged in an indecisive and complicated negotiation for the audiovisual rights of the L1 for the period 2024-2029 – linked to the risk of a loss of attractiveness due to the planned departure of superstar Kylian Mbappé in the summer next –, the LFP and its president Vincent Labrune can be satisfied with this “deal”, formalized at the end of a League Board of Directors meeting on Thursday.  

And this, even if the association with McDonald's, symbol of junk food for some, could provoke criticism.

“In the economic context that we know, this is a nice achievement by the LFP, which is experiencing constant progress with the three 'nameurs' that it has chosen,” said Christophe Lepetit, sports economist.

The LFP inaugurated this new source of income with Conforama, then continued with the delivery company Uber Eats for 15 million euros per year in the first year, and 16 million in the following two years.

With McDonald's and the 30 million euros annually that it will receive until 2027, according to a source close to the matter, the League is therefore doubling its income from one of the four resource levers at its disposal. The American company refused to confirm the amount paid to win the contract. 

Audiovisual rights: BeIn Sports in pole position 

In addition to the naming of Ligue 1, last September the LFP signed a record contract worth 155 million euros over five years (31 million euros per year) with the sports marketing company Infront for live betting rights. of L1, L2 and the Champions Trophy abroad over the next five seasons.  

It now remains for Vincent Labrune – at the forefront of all these negotiations – and his teams to secure the two other sources of financing, the most important: those of the broadcast rights for the L1 for the period 2024-2029, in France and abroad. stranger.  

After an unsuccessful call for tenders, the LFP launched into over-the-counter discussions with the main market players and still hopes to obtain rights close to 900 million euros annually. 

If the negotiations fluctuate quickly, the current trend would be an agreement with the Qatari channel BeIn Sports, which could recover all the broadcasting rights for Ligue 1 in France, according to a source close to the matter.  

A new development, Canal+, which did not participate in the initial call for tenders or in the over-the-counter negotiations, could return to the game and win a few matches through redistribution agreements, according to another source.

With AFP 

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