Ligue 1 opens bids for five-season audiovisual rights

By James Calloway

The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) opened a call for bids on November 4, 2026, covering domestic audiovisual rights to every Ligue 1 match from 2027/28 through 2031/32. The consultation closes December 3, 2026.

The LFP Board of Directors approved the process and will sell the five-season rights as one package. Behind it sits Ligue 1+, the league’s over-the-top streaming platform, which LFP Media launched in August 2025 with exclusive domestic rights to the championship.

After one season, LFP estimates Ligue 1+ has around 1.1 million subscribers. The league also claims direct control over production capabilities and describes the service as a major asset with room for growth. The subscriber number is an estimate; the announcement provides no revenue, pricing or profitability data.

Vincent Labrune, President of the Ligue de Football Professionnel, said: “The launch of this call for bids opens up a particularly interesting prospect for Ligue 1, as it allows us to engage with the market under an unprecedented set-up. With Ligue 1+, we have regained freedom of choice, which allows us to approach this consultation with confidence.”

Labrune described the league’s attractions as high-performing clubs, foremost among them Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning two-time European champions, alongside top talent, full stadiums and a proven ability to produce future stars. He said LFP could now assess options to accelerate growth and extend reach, then select the project that best combines value for clubs, league exposure and supporter accessibility.

One package, two routes

The package has two configurations:

• Acquire the broadcast rights to all Ligue 1 matches.
• Exclusively distribute the Ligue 1+ streaming service.

Under either route, the bidder addresses 100% of the competition rather than a selected schedule or club group. Olivier Bramly, CEO of LFP Media, called this the first opportunity for market participants to bid on the whole competition. The league describes Ligue 1 as a global strategic asset that can help participants maximize its full potential value.

The global description is LFP’s sales proposition. The rights actually on offer remain domestic audiovisual rights. That distinction matters: the consultation tests value and operating models for the home market, even as the league seeks wider distribution.

What does this change for bidders?

For prospective media partners, the practical change is a choice between buying the complete domestic rights package or becoming the exclusive distributor of Ligue 1+. Both routes require coverage of all matches.

Olivier Bramly, CEO of LFP Media, said LFP Media had met with the entire market and designed the consultation to give players real room for initiative. He said: “They will be able to bid on 100 per cent of the competition, a first, either through a traditional model of acquiring broadcast rights or by building on the ecosystem already established around Ligue 1+ through an exclusive distribution partnership.”

He said the two configurations would let LFP assess bids on their ability to create value and support the league’s long-term development. He also expressed the conviction that the product and its marketing could be a growth accelerator for many participants in the market.

The selection timetable

The consultation is open now and runs until December 3, 2026. No bidders, minimum bid price, revenue forecast or award date appear in the announcement. LFP says the two routes will be judged on value creation and long-term development.

The next concrete checkpoint is therefore December 3. After that, LFP says it will compare proposals and choose the model best suited to clubs, the league and supporters. The announcement gives no timetable for a decision or contract launch beyond the 2027/28 start of the rights term. The outcome will determine whether the next five seasons use a conventional all-rights sale or an exclusive distribution partnership built around the league’s own OTT platform.