beIN sues Canal+
JULY 16, 2021 12.41 EUROPE/LONDON BY CHRIS DZIADUL

beIN Sports has initiated legal proceedings against Canal+ before the Nanterre commercial court over the broadcasting rights for Ligue 1.

According to Les Echos, the Qatari channel aims to force Canal+ to respect the contract binding them for the broadcasting of two Ligue 1 matches per round for €332 million a year. It adds that Canal+ has not honoured a first payment of €500,000 to beIN Sporst under a contract signed in 2018 for the period 2020-2024.

Following the allocation of rights by the Professional Football League (LPF) last month of 80% of matches to Amazon Prime, Canal+ decided to withdraw from broadcasting Ligue 1. In doing so, it did not accept the need to pay €322 million to beIN Sports and €259 million to Amazon.

Les Echos notes that in 2018 Mediapro won 80% of Ligue 1 matches for €780 million and beIN Sports obtained lot 3 (two matches) for €332 million per year. BeIN then sublicensed this lot to Canal + in the contract now called into question by the encrypted channel.