“When you buy a pan, you don’t expect to get a colander.” DAZN France CEO lambasts LFP over Ligue 1’s domestic TV rights | OneFootball

DAZN France CEO Brice Daumin has responded to the LFP’s legal action against Ligue 1’s main broadcaster. Speaking to Le Figaro, Daumin has regretted that LFP – Ligue de Football Professionnel, Ligue 1’s governing body – have decided to file a court summons for the broadcaster to pay its TV rights money share in full. DAZN only paid €35m of TV rights money to Ligue 1 clubs this February when €70m were expected. The other €35m have been frozen by DAZN. “Nothing can be solved in court“, Daumin said.

DAZN has several reproaches to address the LFP. The British broadcaster considers that the number of subscribers it hoped for has been overvalued by LFP. It has been reported that DAZN could only get 500.000 new subscribers in France since they acquired most of Ligue 1’s domestic TV rights. What’s more, DAZN is reportedly angry at Ligue 1 clubs for their limited help in giving the broadcaster editorial content. DAZN has also grown tired of LFP’s perceived lack of results in the fight against piracy.

“They don’t do enough“, Daumin said. “Arcom – Autorité de Régulation de la Communication Audiovisuelle et Numérique, France’s independent public authority regarding the fight against piracy – don’t even work during weekends. In Italy, we can block 18,000 piracy links in two days. Arcom does 5,000 per year. In other words. Italy manages in a weekend what Arcom take three and a half years to do. They do not have enough means and this subject must be addressed. When you buy a pan, you don’t expect to have a colander.”

GFFN | Bastien Cheval