Ligue 1 dropped by TNT Sports in UK as concerns rise among fans

Exclusive: United Kingdom TV broadcaster TNT Sports has decided not to renew its rights deal with Ligue 1, sources have confirmed to World Soccer Talk.

TNT Sports, previously known as BT Sport, had the exclusive Ligue 1 rights until mid-May 2024, broadcasting more than 200 Ligue 1 games per season. In spite of this, World Soccer Talk has learned that TNT Sports executives informed employees late last week that it was time for a change. As of press time, no UK broadcaster has picked up the rights, so it means fans there cannot watch the French league until a deal materializes with a different broadcaster.

This comes at the same time that the French governing body Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) has been struggling to find broadcasters to televise Ligue 1 in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. beIN SPORTS’ US rights to Ligue 1 expired at the end of the 2023/24 season but an agreement has been reached to show Ligue 1 games in the USA starting this weekend.

No Ligue 1 in UK? Relief for fans in France, concerns elsewhere

Last month, there was great relief from French soccer fans when the domestic TV rights deal was finally agreed. It means that fans of Ligue 1 clubs in France can watch games across beIN SPORTS, DAZN, and Canal+. With the brand new season starting on Friday in the picturesque port town of Le Havre, the question still looms large. But, this time, it’s about international TV rights.

As things stand, beIN Media Group has been reluctant to continue its partnership to broadcast Ligue 1 outside France.

That surprisingly includes the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, home to beIN SPORTS which is based in Doha. That part of the world was their only coverage area when beIN SPORTS first launched as the Al Jazeera Media Network back in 2012.

Over the next decade, beIN SPORTS MENA faced multiple challenges that led to numerous changes in their offerings. After dropping Serie A broadcasting rights in 2021, beIN SPORTS has also cut France’s top division from its listing, starting this season. Of course, that is unless a late deal can be signed.

The same is the case for Sub-Saharan Africa viewers with Ligue 1’s long-standing partner Canal + Afrique. Earlier last month, Canal + distanced itself from domestic bidding after a tense legal battle with LFP.

Previous rightsholders in India, Sports18, are yet to comment on the continued partnership with LFP.

World Soccer Talk has reached out to LFP’s Ligue 1 officials for comment.

What changed to cause broadcasters to not renew?

When World Soccer Talk spoke with LFP executives late last year, they were optimistic about a new TV rights deal being done.

“Ligue 1 wants to connect with fans in a very different way than before,” LFP Chief Executive Ben Morel said at the time. That included the US broadcast deal it was working on. “We believe we are well primed to be successful there [in the USA],” he added.

Back when Ligue 1 negotiated its previous TV deals with broadcasters, the league was blessed with several world-class stars. The Argentine phenomenon Lionel Messi joined his ex-clubmate Neymar and France’s Kylian Mbappé at PSG in the summer of 2021. Little by little, those players left the club. Gone too were Angel di Maria and Sergio Ramos.

Certainly, the biggest blow is the departure of Mbappé to Real Madrid. Without him, both PSG and Ligue 1 are much weaker in appealing to sports viewers worldwide. It’s a major blow for both league and Ligue 1’s flagship club.

Clubs boosted by transfer signings after French TV deal finalized

In some ways, the presence of star names at PSG created a gulf between the club owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and the rest. But, as it stands, that presented Ligue 1’s only chance to compete with the bigger leagues for signings of superstars.

That includes convincing the local talents to stay in the league as seen by Desire Doue’s impending transfer with Nasser Al-Khelaifi triumphant against his familiar foe Bayern Munich. PSG already splashed more than $100m before the commitment to the Olympic silver medalist.

But they’re not the only overspenders this time around. The Olympiques – Lyon and Marseille – invested a lot of money in their respective squads despite missing out on the UEFA Champions League. Adi Hutter’s Monaco will return to Europe’s premier competition and they showed their readiness level with an emphatic 3-0 win in a friendly against Barcelona at Camp Nou on Monday.

The movements in the transfer market kicked in after LFP secured the domestic TV deal. But Ligue 1 fans from the rest of the world are still waiting for answers. Will they be able to watch France’s top-tier soccer season that begins later this week?

Additional reporting by Christopher Harris.

Photo: IMAGO / Noah Wedel.