A move that could delight many football fans is under consideration in France. After several postponements, the National Assembly examined a bill on Monday aimed at reforming French football. Among the amendments being debated is a requirement to broadcast one Ligue 1 match for free on television each week.
This provision is being discussed in public session on Monday. The deputies who proposed the amendment argue that “the multiplication of broadcasters for different sports competitions, and thus the increase in paid subscriptions, strongly distances spectators from sporting events and encourages the development of piracy”.
A contested measure
The proposal, however, faces strong opposition from professional leagues and several sports stakeholders. In a joint statement released 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 denounced a provision that “is not neutral”.
The text is still far from being definitively adopted. It may be modified following debates in the National Assembly, before being examined by a joint committee on July 21. Beyond the issue of free broadcasts, the proposed law also addresses the fight against piracy, strengthening the role of federations and the Ministry of Sports in governing professional leagues, redistributing audiovisual revenues, and capping executive compensation.
