French pay-television broadcaster SFR Sport, a division of the Altice telco, is “unlikely” to bid for the next cycle of rights to Ligue 1, the top division of football in France, according to SFR Group chairman Alain Weill.
Last week, the Ligue de Football Professionnel, which operates the French football league, launched its sales process for the domestic rights covering Ligue 1 covering four seasons, from 2020-21 to 2023-24.
Weill told yesterday’s Journal du Dimanche (JDD) newspaper: “This (bidding) is unlikely and we will make reasonable and coherent choices.”
He added that the broadcaster’s business model “works very well without this championship, important as it is”.
SFR Sport’s withdrawal from the process would leave pay-television broadcasters Canal Plus and beIN Sports in a head-to-head fight, unless another platform emerges during the auction.
The LFP has set a May 28 deadline for bids to be submitted.