beIN misses Ligue 2 payment as LFP-Canal+ drama continues

The French Professional Football League (LFP) is waiting on an outstanding rights payment from beIN Sports worth €7.5 million.

The LFP is in the midst of a broadcasting crisis following the announcement from Canal+ that it will boycott the league after Amazon was handed 80% of the Ligue 1 matches at a much reduced rate. beIN, a well-established partner of both parties, was said to be undecided over its options last month and that indecision has evidently carried over into July.

According to L’Équipe, beIN was due to make a €7.5 million payment to the league for its two Ligue 2 fixtures per match week on July 1 but missed that deadline. Its next payments are due October 5, January 1 and April 5.

The deal with Amazon includes all the rights initially held by Mediapro in 2020 before that deal collapsed, which features both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches. 

While beIN is said to have a grace period with the league to decide its course of action, a larger payment of €55 million is due on August 5 for beIN’s Ligue 1 rights to two fixtures per match week which are sublicensed to Canal+.

LFP president Vincent Labrune recently called for “common sense” from Canal+ but has insisted that “there is no chance that this contract will be called into question.”