Football clubs in France’s top league, Ligue 1, have decided to cut ties with DAZN, the streaming platform currently broadcasting most of the league’s matches. The decision comes less than a year after the two sides agreed on a major media rights deal.
The deal, signed just before the 2024/25 season kicked off, was worth around €500 million per year. Under this agreement, DAZN aired eight out of the nine weekly Ligue 1 matches, with beIN Sports showing the remaining one. The deal marked a big shift after long-time broadcasters Canal+ and Amazon stepped away.
But things started going south quickly. Disputes over unpaid fees, marketing issues, and anti-piracy efforts strained the partnership. Earlier this year, DAZN withheld part of a scheduled payment to the Ligue and filed a lawsuit, claiming the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) didn’t hold up their side of the contract, especially in protecting the content and promoting the league.
To avoid a legal battle, a mediator was brought in around March 2025 to help resolve the issue. The proposed compromise: DAZN would pay the full amount still due for this season (€140 million) and a settlement fee of up to €125 million. However, DAZN wasn’t on board.
Following this failed mediation, the LFP’s board of directors voted to terminate the agreement at the end of the current season, leaving Ligue 1 once again searching for a new broadcast partner and financial security.
In a public statement, the LFP said, “LFP Media acknowledges the failure of the mediation process initiated in early March 2025. The contract between the parties remains in effect, and LFP Media expects its partner to fully fulfil all of its obligations under this agreement.”
On the other side, DAZN shared its own version of the story. The platform expressed disappointment over the situation and stressed its efforts to find common ground. DAZN spokesperson said, “After four months of discussions – including six weeks of mediation – initiated in good faith by DAZN and involving several proposals, the mediation unfortunately did not succeed in sufficiently bridging the gap between the parties. It has therefore not been possible – at this stage – to reach an agreement for an amicable resolution of the situation.”
The fallout has left Ligue 1 clubs facing a familiar problem uncertainty about how their games will be shown next season. With the current broadcast setup collapsing and no new deal in place yet, the league may struggle to secure similar financial terms.
About Ligue 1
Ligue 1 is France’s top professional football league and home to clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, and Lyon. It has long been one of Europe’s major football competitions, with millions of viewers both in France and abroad.
About DAZN
DAZN is a global sports streaming service that delivers live and on-demand content to subscribers in multiple countries. Known for its football coverage, DAZN has been trying to grow its presence in Europe through high-value media rights deals though this recent fallout with Ligue 1 could pose challenges for its expansion plans.