DAZN’s Ligue 1 deal in jeopardy amid losses

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DAZN’s Ligue 1 Struggles

Sports streaming giant DAZN is reportedly seeking to renegotiate its $666 million-per-year agreement with the French Professional Football League (LFP) for Ligue 1 domestic broadcast rights.

The move comes amid disappointing subscriber numbers, with DAZN reportedly attracting only 400,000 customers by November 2024, far short of the 1.5 million needed to secure a return on investment (ROI).

Since the start of the 2024/25 season, DAZN has been airing eight of the nine Ligue 1 matches each matchday, positioning the league as its flagship property in France. Despite promotional efforts, including price cuts, subscriber growth has remained stagnant.

Exit Clauses Looming

DAZN has the option to terminate its contract after two seasons if it fails to meet the 1.5 million subscriber target by December 2025.

Meanwhile, BeIN Sports, which pays $166 million annually for the remaining fixture, also holds an exit clause after three seasons.

BeIN has previously expressed dissatisfaction with its treatment by the LFP, and industry insiders believe it could also walk away if DAZN activates its clause.

Financial Challenges for Ligue 1

The LFP had hoped its current broadcast deals would help reduce the financial disparity between Ligue 1 and Europe’s other top leagues.

However, the contracts with DAZN and BeIN, which run until the 2028/29 season, were signed at the last minute before the 2024/25 campaign and represent a significant drop in revenue compared to previous deals with Amazon Prime Video and Canal+.

Adding to the financial strain, new projections from the LFP’s National Control and Management Directorate (DNCG) estimate that clubs in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 face combined losses of $2 billion.

This grim outlook is attributed to reduced broadcast revenue and the cessation of funds from private equity firm CVC’s prior investment in French football.

What’s Next for the LFP?

Should DAZN and BeIN terminate their contracts, the LFP could find itself in a precarious position. A direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service is one potential solution, but DAZN’s underwhelming subscriber base casts doubt on the feasibility of achieving the LFP’s previous targets of two million subscribers and $962 million in annual revenue.

Long-Term Implications for French Clubs

The ongoing broadcast uncertainty adds to a series of challenges for French clubs, which have already endured the financial fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic and the collapse of the Mediapro deal. For many teams, ensuring financial stability and consistent revenue streams will be the top priority as they navigate an increasingly volatile landscape.

Conclusion

Ligue 1’s broadcast crisis highlights the fragile state of French football’s financial ecosystem.

The LFP’s strained relationships with key partners and its reliance on uncertain broadcast revenues leave both the league and its clubs vulnerable.

If DAZN and BeIN exercise their exit clauses, the LFP will need to act swiftly to stabilise its media rights strategy and secure the long-term future of the competition.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

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Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

 

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

 

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.

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