February 13 – BeIN Sports France have, at the last minute, snatched the broadcast rights to the 2026 and 2030 FIFA World Cups away from LFP’s Ligue 1+ streaming channel.
Chief executive of LFP Media, Nicolas de Tavernost, had announced that they had secured the rights to all 104 matches from each tournament in a deal reportedly worth about €40 million. De Tavernost has now handed in his resignation.
Two weeks ago, LFP claimed a court victory over BeIN Sports, with the Qatari-backed platform ordered to pay €14.13 million in withheld payments.
Sources cited by RMC Sport insist that no agreement was ever signed between FIFA and the LFP. De Tavernost had spoken too soon, and BeIN quietly moved ahead, formalising an agreement that now leaves Ligue 1+ empty-handed and embarrassed.
The fallout for the platform will be devastating. Ligue 1+ was already in trouble with just over one million subscribers and roughly €133 million annually from long-term commitments, meaning the platform remains well short of matching the licensing fees in Ligue 1’s most disappointing recent rights cycles.
De Tavernost informed the LFP of his intention to resign after just nine months in the role, amid reported clashes with Paris Saint-Germain president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who also happens to be the chair of BeIN.
Al-Khelaifi overlap of roles has repeatedly raised eyebrows regarding potential ‘conflict of interest’.
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