LFP wins fresh appeal in Ligue 1 rights dispute
January 15, 2026
A French Court has again ruled in favour of the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) and its commercial arm LFP Media, rejecting compensation claims brought by Canal+ and beIN Sports tied to the awarding of Ligue 1 domestic rights.
Canal+ and beIN Sports were seeking around €660 million, arguing they were disadvantaged by the way rights were reallocated in France in June 2021 following the collapse of Mediapro. The appeal court decisions uphold earlier findings that backed the LFP’s approach.
The dispute centred on the 2021-2024 rights cycle to top-flight French football, when Prime Video took around 80 per cent of matches for €250 million per season, while beIN retained a smaller package that it sublicensed to Canal+ on higher financial terms. Canal+ and beIN argued the outcome created an unfair imbalance.
The LFP pointed out that the latest rulings represent its 19th and 20th favourable decisions. The rulings ease pressure on the LFP, whose broadcast revenues are currently limited.
Canal+ hit back, issuing a press statement that said: “Canal+ has taken note of the decisions rendered by the Paris Court of Appeal in the legal disputes opposing it to the LFP and LFP Media, as well as the statement issued by these entities, which appear to suggest that an operator claiming discrimination acts abusively when seeking to assert its rights before the courts. This is not the position of the Paris Court of Appeal, which dismissed the LFP and LFP Media’s claim alleging abusive proceedings. Canal+ has consistently confined itself to defending its interests and those of its subscribers. This is a legitimate course of action given the substantial financial harm it has incurred. The Canal+ Group will examine the available avenues of appeal in order to continue asserting its rights.”
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