TF1 Secures Broadcast Rights for Club World Cup Matches in France
French television network TF1 has announced a sub-licensing agreement with DAZN, the sports streaming platform, granting it the rights to broadcast two high-profile Club World Cup matches in France. The deal encompasses the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) versus Atletico Madrid match scheduled for June 15th at 9:00 PM and the Club World Cup final slated for July 13th, also at 9:00 PM. This move ensures that French audiences will have free-to-air access to these significant sporting events.
The agreement marks a strategic maneuver for TF1, allowing the network to feature prominently in the upcoming Club World Cup, a competition generating considerable global interest. While the official statement from TF1 emphasized the network’s commitment to broadcasting major sporting events, it conspicuously omitted details regarding the specific channel within the group that would air the matches. This ambiguity leaves viewers speculating whether the matches will be broadcast on the flagship TF1 channel or one of its subsidiary channels.
DAZN, the entity from which TF1 secured the sub-licensing rights, acquired the international broadcast rights for the revamped FIFA Club World Cup in December for an estimated one billion euros. This investment underscores DAZN’s ambition to establish itself as a dominant player in the global sports broadcasting market. The revamped Club World Cup, featuring 32 teams and set to take place in the United States in 2025, represents a significant expansion of the tournament, promising a higher level of competition and broader international appeal.
DAZN’s strategy involves making the tournament widely accessible. The platform initially announced that all 63 matches would be available free to fans worldwide. This ambition is facilitated through the option of sub-licensing rights to local free-to-air television channels, as demonstrated by the agreement with TF1. This approach allows DAZN to maximize its reach and ensure comprehensive coverage of the tournament across different regions.
The acquisition of Club World Cup rights by TF1 comes against the backdrop of a recent setback for the network. In March 2024, rival broadcaster M6 outbid TF1 for the rights to broadcast matches from the 2026 and 2030 World Cups, a coup that sent shockwaves through the French broadcasting landscape. This loss represented a significant blow to TF1, which had consistently broadcast World Cup matches since its inception in 1975. The prospect of TF1 not airing any matches from either the 2026 or 2030 World Cups raised serious questions about the network’s future dominance in sports broadcasting.
The securing of Club World Cup rights can therefore be seen as a strategic attempt by TF1 to mitigate the impact of losing the World Cup rights. By securing the rights to broadcast these high-profile matches, TF1 ensures that it remains a prominent player in the French sports broadcasting market and continues to attract significant viewership.
Meanwhile, DAZN itself has faced challenges in the French market. The streaming platform, holding the primary television rights for Ligue 1, the top tier of French football, was embroiled in a dispute with the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), the organization governing French professional football. The dispute centered on payments owed by DAZN to the LFP.
The conflict was resolved on May 2nd, with DAZN agreeing to pay the remaining installments owed for the current season, amounting to 140 million euros. In return, the LFP agreed to drop the legal proceedings it had initiated against DAZN before the Paris Commercial Court. DAZN had initially sought 573 million euros in damages from the LFP, alleging misrepresentation and breach of contract. DAZN argued that the LFP had failed to deliver on its promises regarding the quality and attractiveness of the Ligue 1 product.
The resolution of this dispute has paved the way for the LFP to potentially launch its own television channel. DAZN has expressed its interest in participating in this venture, which could further reshape the landscape of French football broadcasting. The creation of an LFP-owned channel would provide the league with greater control over the distribution of its content and potentially increase its revenue streams.
The Club World Cup, set to be held in the United States, promises to be a highly competitive and entertaining tournament. The expansion to 32 teams from the current seven significantly increases the event’s global appeal and adds depth to the competition. The participation of renowned clubs from around the world ensures that the tournament will attract a large international audience, making it a valuable asset for broadcasters like TF1 and streaming platforms like DAZN. The matches that TF1 has secured the rights to broadcast – PSG vs. Atletico Madrid and the final – are expected to be among the most watched of the tournament, further solidifying TF1’s position as a key player in French sports broadcasting. The specific location of the broadcast on the TF1 channels will be interesting to monitor.
