French football hits historic low

French football is witnessing an unprecedented "earthquake" as revenue from television rights falls to a record low.

PSG are the current Ligue 1 champions.

Even Paris Saint-Germain - the reigning Champions League champions - if they win Ligue 1 this season, will only pocket 4.67 million euros, less than the amount Montpellier received for finishing bottom of the table last season, according to AS .

After DAZN cancelled its deal last year, Ligue 1 rushed to launch its own streaming platform, Ligue 1+, in the hope of reviving its revenue stream. However, the channel’s revenue is entirely dependent on subscriptions, while BeiN Sports – which shows nine games each round – has paid just €80 million, plus an additional €20 million from a yet-to-be-finalised sponsorship deal.

As a result, the bottom team this season will only receive a maximum of 1 million euros, while the total amount divided among the 18 Ligue 1 clubs after deductions is only 80.5 million euros - an unprecedented low.

The consequences are clear. Ajaccio, which had played in the top flight for 14 seasons, was relegated to the amateur league after failing to raise a €15 million deposit. Lyon narrowly escaped being demoted due to a deficit of more than €100 million. Bordeaux, a French footballing giant, is still struggling in the fourth division after last year’s financial shock.

Ligue 1 is losing value.

Although Ligue 1+ claims to have surpassed 600,000 subscribers, more than DAZN did in the entire previous season, the overall picture remains bleak. The league has been off the air for two years in Spain, its international appeal has been severely diminished, and investment in French football has dwindled.

PSG, thanks to its superior financial resources, is likely to continue to dominate Ligue 1. But for the rest, the battle is now not only taking place on the pitch, but also a life-and-death struggle to survive in an increasingly suffocating environment due to the television rights crisis.

Source: https://znews.vn/bong-da-phap-cham-day-lich-su-post1579113.html