The chief executive of the French Professional Football League’s (LFP) media division has resigned after missing out on securing the broadcast rights to the 2026 Fifa World Cup for the organisation’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service.
Nicolas de Tavernost joined LFP Media to spearhead the launch of Ligue 1+, which has enjoyed some early success, attracting more than one million subscribers.
However, it is still a long way short of delivering the broadcast revenues that clubs previously enjoyed with a traditional media partner and has failed to significantly ease the financial uncertainty facing many clubs in France’s top flight.
‘Success of Ligue 1+ hinges on year two’, says ex-LFP Media boss
In a bid to drive subscriptions and reduce churn, De Tavernost claimed last month to have struck a €20 million (US$23.9 million) deal to live stream all 104 matches from the World Cup, including 54 on an exclusive basis.
The majority of clubs supported the initiative. But one notable exception was Paris Saint-Germain, whose Qatari owners have close links to pay-TV channel BeIN Sports, which has shared the last three tournaments with M6’s rival TF1.
Fifa has now handed the rights to BeIN Sports, a move which has prompted de Tavernost’s departure, with the former M6 executive reportedly frustrated at a perceived lack of support.
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