Financial issues in Ligue 1:
“The situation is serious”, said the new Sports Minister, Marie Barsacq, in an interview published on Tuesday by Ouest-France. She highlighted the €1.2 billion deficit of Ligue 1, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. “We need to act quickly”, she added.
“What worries me today is Ligue 1: the situation is serious”, Barsacq insisted, having previously worked for the French Football Federation (FFF) before joining the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organizing Committee. “The figures are worrying. We need a healthy football”, she specified.
The minister discussed the difficulties surrounding the sale of TV rights. After initially aiming to secure €1 billion per season, the French Professional Football League (LFP) had to scale back its expectations and sell Ligue 1 matches for around €500 million annually, divided between DAZN and beIN Sports.
Additionally, as suggested by Vincent Labrune, president of the Professional Football League, piracy is a significant issue, with around 55% of viewers watching the Marseille-PSG match, a Ligue 1 classic, through illegal sources, according to a survey by the broadcasting regulatory body Arcom.
Marie Barsacq added that she would soon meet with the “governing bodies” to discuss these issues. “The arrival of new investors, such as Redbull or the Arnault family at Paris FC, is a positive development, but it’s not all about the budget”, she clarified.
Regarding the awarding of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, Marie Barsacq expressed “skepticism” regarding the ecological concerns surrounding the event.