More trouble. DAZN pulls out of Ligue 1 broadcast deal just a year after signing

Last summer, fans of France’s Ligue 1 witnessed a saga over who would broadcast the league following Canal+’s exit from the deal. DAZN seized the opportunity, signing a three-year contract to air the matches. But that agreement won’t run its full course.

According to L'Equipe, the UK-based streaming platform has terminated its broadcast contract ahead of schedule. There are two main reasons behind DAZN’s drastic decision.

First, the platform did not receive sufficient support in the fight against piracy, which resulted in a disappointingly low subscriber base. In a country of 68 million people, only 500,000 watched the matches legally.

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Second, DAZN wanted to produce and publish more exclusive content dedicated to the league, but the clubs were unwilling to agree to those terms. Moreover, there was no pressure on the clubs to reconsider their stance.

As a result, the platform is now required to pay a penalty of €100 million. At the same time, DAZN has committed to paying all installments owed for the period up to now, totaling €140 million.

However, DAZN could be released from the penalty if it cooperates with the league once the league launches its own channel.