February 19 – For the second time in as many weeks, the French Professional Football League (LFP) has suffered the loss of a senior media executive, further destabilising an organisation already rocking from multiple media-rights crises.
The LFP has confirmed Martin Aurenche, senior director of media at its commercial arm LFP Media, has left the company. Aurenche played a central role in domestic and international media-rights sales and helped launch Ligue 1+, the league’s in-house direct-to-consumer platform which became the primary broadcaster of Ligue 1 this season.
His exit follows the recent departure of director general Nicolas de Tavernost, who cited irreconcilable friction with beIN Sports, the platform where Aurenche was Vice-President of Sports Content for eleven years.
It followed a dispute over World Cup broadcast rights, with De Tavernost claiming Ligue1+ had secured a deal for this summer’s competition, only for beIN – headed by PSG President and Nasser Al-Khelaifi – to swoop in for both the 2026 and 2030 tournaments at the last minute.
Whether Aurenche’s departure was voluntary or forced is unknown, but the impact is expected to be felt far beyond the LFP, with clubs concerned over the decreasing value of Ligue 1’s media rights.
With leadership thinning, the LFP now faces an uphill battle to convince clubs that it can still deliver long-term value in an increasingly volatile broadcast landscape.
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