By Jonathan Easton
Qatar-based broadcaster beIN is yet to decide on its next steps following Canal+’s decision to boycott Ligue 1.
beIN holds the rights to two fixtures per week for the 2020-24 via a sublicensing deal with Canal+ worth €332 million(US$395.38million) per year.
Earlier this month, Canal+ was awarded a rights package equating to 20 per cent of the league’s fixtures while Amazon was handed the vast majority of the league’s matches for €250 million per season. As a result, the Vivendi-owned broadcaster has said that it will not broadcast the matches it has been awarded due to Amazon’s involvement.
Canal+ published a statement which said: “Canal+ regrets the French professional league’s decision to pick Amazon’s proposal, to the detriment of its historical partners such as Canal+ and beIN Sports.”
Now, SportsBusiness has reported that beIN is yet to make a decision on its next move and will wait to see what legal route Canal+ goes down. The broadcaster’s next tranche of payments to Canal+ is August 5, effectively setting a deadline for beIN to make a decision.
The report goes on to note that while beIN would likely side with Canal+ in the dispute due to its historical ties with the broadcaster, the Qatar-based broadcaster sees the French professional league (LFP) as a key partner in international markets such as the US and MENA.
