A measure that could delight many football fans is under review. After several postponements, the National Assembly examined this Monday a proposed law aimed at reforming French football. Among the amendments debated is the obligation to broadcast one Ligue 1 match per week free of charge on television.
This provision is being studied in public session this Monday. The deputies behind the amendment argue that “the multiplication of broadcasters for different sports competitions, and thus the multiplication of paid subscriptions, strongly distances spectators from sporting events and encourages the development of piracy.”
A contested proposal
The proposal, however, faces strong opposition from professional leagues and several sports stakeholders. In a joint statement issued on June 25, they argue that such a measure “would mechanically reduce the value of rights, at a time when French sport must diversify its resources and strengthen its financing.” In a column, 22 presidents of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs also denounce a measure that “is not neutral.”
The text is still far from being definitively adopted. It can be amended after the debates at the National Assembly, before being examined in a joint committee on July 21. Beyond the issue of free broadcasting, the proposed law also addresses the fight against piracy, strengthening the role of federations and the Ministry of Sports in the governance of professional leagues, the redistribution of audiovisual revenues, and the capping of executive compensation.
