Pay-television broadcaster Al Jazeera agreed a deal with the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the French football league, for the one remaining package of live domestic rights for the top-tier Ligue 1, worth €240 million ($305 million) over the four years from 2012-13 to 2015-16.
L’Equipe reports that the Qatar-based broadcaster, which is launching two pay-television channels in France this year, will pay €80 million per season in the first two years of the deal, and €40 million per season in the last two. Al Jazeera is paying a further €90 million per year in the same cycle for two other live matches per week under a deal with the league agreed last year.
The final package covered pay-per-view rights for six live Ligue 1 matches per week, plus a weekly highlights show. In the deal agreed last year, Al Jazeera acquired rights for the 9pm Friday night match, and the Sunday afternoon match.
Rival pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus, also bid for the final package of rights. It offered a revenue-sharing deal, with no minimum guarantee. Canal Plus agreed a €420 million-per-season deal with the league last year for the top two matches per week, one at 5pm on Saturdays, and the other at 9pm on Sundays.
The latest deal means the league will earn at least €590 million from its domestic media rights next season. The league earns €668 million per season in its deals with Canal Plus and Orange in the current cycle, from 2008-09 to 2011-12.
The league has been offered at least €20m per season for mobile rights by telco Orange, although the deal has not yet been finalised.