At present under French law, the football league (uniquely among French rights holders) is prevented from selling its TV rights for a period longer than three years. The law was introduced at a time when the country had two rival pay-operators Canal Plus and TPS and since French league football is considered pay-TV’s killer application, the law was intended to protect one or other of the platforms, in the event that they lost the rights.
But the situation changed when the two pay-operators merged last year. The LFP has since then lobbied the French competition authority and the government to allow it to sell its rights for four-year contracts, so as to entice potential new players to enter the market, in the knowledge that they would have time to develop an offering.
Although the country’s competition authorities initially rejected the league’s proposal, it is understood that the law will be amended after being agreed by ministers and will then be published in the Official Journal. The league is expected to launch a rights tender at the end of November.
