French soccer’s top-flight Ligue 1 has launched its direct-to-consumer (DTC) broadcast channel - named Ligue 1 Plus - and announced a range of distribution outlets for the nascent TV project.
In terms of distribution, telecom and TV heavyweights Boygues Telecom, Free, Orange, and SFR will all carry Ligue 1 Plus, as will the DAZN OTT streaming service.
In its first season, the new channel will domestically cover eight of the nine Ligue 1 games per matchday exclusively from the start of the upcoming 2025-26 Ligue 1 season on August 15.
The remaining match will be shown live by international sports broadcaster BeIN Sports, with Ligue 1 Plus to show the game on a delayed basis.
Additionally, the league’s season-opening Trophee des Champions super cup competition and the season-ending promotion/relegation playoffs, will also be shown live on Ligue 1 Plus, as will the totality of the final two weeks of the Ligue 1 season (as matches are scheduled to take place simultaneously).
Subscriptions can initially be bought for €14.99 ($17.66) per month (well below what last season's primary domestic rightsholder DAZN was charging), the LFP has said, with that body essentially relying on strong sales to keep much of Ligue 1 financially afloat.
In its first season, the LFP is aiming to garner 1 million subscribers, a figure it will aim to increase to between 2.2 million and 2.5 million over the following four campaigns.
Payments from DAZN and BeIN have helped to fund the channel’s startup, which boasts around €165 million in funds, with around €66 million earmarked to cover the costs of the channel, of which €33 million to €35 million has already been paid for production costs.
The LFP has elected to move forward with an in-house Ligue 1 linear TV channel as the primary distributor of the competition’s main rights package following the collapse of its broadcast partnership with DAZN, which covered eight fixtures per gameweek through a €325 million deal (while BeIN Sports aired the other game, via a contract running through 2025-26).
Following the end of the BeIN-LFP deal, therefore, it is likely that this new channel will show every Ligue 1 match in 2026-27.
In addition to live and delayed game broadcasts, Ligue 1 Plus will also host magazine content produced by Mediawan, documentary series’, and other ancillary programming.
Speaking on the channel launch, LFP Media director general Nicolas de Tavernost commented: “We are taking control of our own destiny, we expect a difficult couple of years ahead when it comes to the establishment of an asset, the returns of this channel will be progressive.”
Speaking to French outlet RMC, LFP president Vincent Labrune added: “We have greatly reduced our Ligue 1 clubs’ dependence on domestic rights.
“All our economic indicators are on the rise. Commercial rights, international rights, UEFA rights... Yes, there is a problem with domestic rights, but it's not for lack of looking for solutions for two and a half years, solutions that we haven't found because the market is what it is."
“We have club owners who are ready and who have all endorsed this channel project, which is a medium- to long-term project, because they have the means to cope with one or two years without domestic rights. We must stop thinking that Ligue 1 will collapse because there are no domestic rights.
“The channel is risky, it’s not easy, but it’s exciting. It’s an adventure and it’s disruptive. We said we wanted to create an innovative league. French football also means launching your own product.”
