LFP Media chief quits as beIN swoops on World Cup rights
February 12, 2026
From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris
Nicolas de Tavernost has resigned from his position at the head of LFP Media, the French football league commercial arm which manages the Ligue1+ streaming platform, just nine months into the role.
De Tavernost’s resignation comes in response to the fact that beIN Sports has acquired the the pay-TV rights to the 2026 and 2030 FIFA World Cup tournament rather than Ligue 1+.
LFP Media believed it already had a contract in place with FIFA for the 2026 World Cup worth nearly €20 million – and it was just a case of waiting for it to be ratified by the organisation, a procedure which is “usually a formality”. Several sources say that FIFA even initially contacted Ligue 1+ to make an offer.
According to local reports in France, 54 of the 104 matches at each tournament will be broadcast free-to-air by M6, with beIN being the only broadcaster showing all 104 matches.
Other posts by :
- FCC seeks fair play over foreign satellite access
- Bank raises RocketLab target price
- Ukraine wants its own LEO system
- SpaceX outlines Starlink cellular delivery plan
- NAB vs CTIA on C-band release
- Laser terminals to operate at 100x faster
- Starlink success in Spain, but South Africa proves difficult
- RocketLab doubts over Mynaric bid