France's top football competition, Ligue 1, has officially announced the launch of an independent broadcast channel that will be managed by the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) starting from the 2025/26 season.
The move marks a major shift in the league's broadcast strategy, following the end of its partnership with DAZN and previous rights challenges.
"We want to modernize access to Ligue 1 and provide a closer experience to fans. With this channel, we can manage our own content and ensure more stable income for the clubs," said Vincent Labrune, President of the LFP as reported by L'Equipe on Wednesday.
According to an official statement from the LFP as reported by Yahoo Sports, the new channel will broadcast eight of the 10 matches each week live with the remaining matches broadcast by beIN Sports.
The channel will also offer additional content such as match highlights, statistics and interactive features such as FanZone to enhance the fan experience.
The decision comes after the LFP faced major challenges in domestic broadcasting rights negotiations. After the contract with DAZN ended early due to a payment dispute, the LFP chose to take full control of their content distribution.
The move makes Ligue 1 the first of Europe's top five leagues to launch a full direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming platform.
Although considered risky due to high operating costs, a number of reports mention the potential for success if LFP is able to attract a significant number of customers, especially in international markets.
However, this decision has also met with challenges, with Canal+ stating that it will not distribute the channel due to the price being deemed too high.
The standalone channel is expected to begin operations on August 15, 2025, coinciding with the start of the new season.
The LFP also plans to partner with technology companies to support the platform's infrastructure and establish sponsorship partnerships, including with Qatari companies, to increase revenue.
The move is expected to address the financial crisis faced by Ligue 1 clubs due to declining broadcasting revenues in recent years, especially following the departures of stars such as Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar.
