Ligue 1 broadcast rights up in the air

Liam Watson

Bids for French top-flight Ligue 1 from Amazon, DAZN and Discovery have all fallen short, prompting a broadcast rights crisis for the league.

The Professional Football League (LFP) haven’t been able to reach an agreement with any bidders as all offers by the three media companies were rejected.

L’Equipe reports that Mediapro’s editorial director for the Téléfoot network, Jean-Michel Roussier, also made an offer on his own companies behalf.

So far, no candidate has been able to match a publicly undisclosed asking price for LFP, not helped by the notable absence of bids from pay-TV broadcasters Canal+ and beIN Sports.

LFP has stated that it received offers from ‘three major international groups Amazon, Discovery and DAZN’ for a contract that includes second-tier Ligue 2 rights.

The LFP will give itself 48 hours to consider the next steps in the process, which would likely be entering private negotiations.

Téléfoot’s temporary arrangement, a network set up by Mediapro to showcase French league coverage, has just expired.

The top two French leagues had previously been left without a domestic broadcast partner when a record deal collapsed with Spanish-based agency Mediapro, worth €814 million (1.3 billion AUD) a year until the end of the 2023/24 season. A contract termination occurred in December as Mediapro were unable to meet payment deadlines – just four months into its first year.

Canal+ is paying €330 million (521 million AUD) a year to sublicence the remaining 20 per cent of games from BeIN Sports. The Vivendi-owned media company wanted to cancel that contract as part of the re-issue of the main broadcast partnership tender.

The LFP rejected that move and Canal+ launched a lawsuit against the league body, wanting to resell the rights rather than being stuck with the inflated prices of 2018. A court hearing is expected to take place on February 19th, as the broadcaster is also filing a complaint with France’s competition regulator about the LFP decision.

Last week it was revealed that French top-flight clubs were about to suffer catastrophic combined losses of over €1.3 billion (2 billion AUD) for this season alone due to the Covid-19 pandemic and a Mediapro deal breakdown.

At this stage, there is complete uncertainly if anyone is able to broadcast Ligue 1’s biggest match on the calendar between Marseille and PSG this weekend.

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Isabella Mossin awarded Ninja A-League Women Referee of the Year

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Image credit: Football NSW

The youngest recipient since its inception, Mossin will officially receive the award after leading the Ninja A-League Grand Final 2026 on Saturday.

 

A rapid rise

After debuting in 2023, Mossin has quickly proved quality, composure and confidence as a referee in the Ninja A-League.

As a result of the achievement, Mossin will be the appointed referee for this weekend’s Grand Final between Melbourne City FC and Wellington Phoenix.

After beginning in the North West Sydney Football Association, Mossin then honed her craft with the Football NSW Referee Academy, a journey with foundations truly embedded in youth development and grassroots football.

Thus, Mossin is not just am individual success story, but a symbol of what institutional investment and opportunities can do for young women looking for a pathway to the game.

 

Celebrating success

The plaudits, unsurprisngly, are arriving from across Australia’s football landscape, with many emphasising the incredible standards set by Mossin since her debut just three years ago.

“This award is testament to Isabella’s hard work and dedication to refereeing, and a great reflection of the next generation of referees coming through the system in Australia,” said A-Leagues CEO, Steve Rosich.

“At just 25 years of age, she has consistently demonstrated composure, leadership, strong decision-making and the ability to perform under pressure in some of the biggest matches in the competition,” highlighted Football Australia Head of Referees, Jon Moss.

“Having someone refereeing their first Ninja A-league Women’s Grand Final at the age of 25 years should inspire all girls and young women referees (and potential referees) and show them that age is not a barrier to talent being recognised within Football Australia refereeing,” said Chair of Football Australia Referee Committee, David Elleray.

Given Mossin’s reputation and experience already at the top level of women’s football in Australia, there is no doubt that she will rise to the occasion this Saturday.

Female Football Week kicks off across Northern NSW

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Image Credit: Shutterstock

Female Football Week has officially begun across Northern NSW, with a program of gala days, networking events and awards ceremonies running until Sunday May 17, marking a ten-day celebration that organisers say reflects both the growth of women’s football in the region and the work still required to sustain it.

The national initiative, now a fixture on the football calendar, provides a dedicated period of visibility for female participants across all levels of the game from players, coaches, referees to volunteers, whose contributions have historically received less recognition than their male counterparts.

NNSWF Participation and Women’s Football Officer Serena Carter said the week offered something for everyone connected to women’s football in the region.

“Female Football Week provides a fantastic chance to highlight the dedication and skill of female players, coaches, referees and volunteers across the northern NSW community,” Carter said. “There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from grassroots participants to elite competitors.”

Women’s football in northern NSW spans remote and regional communities where clubs operate on limited resources, alongside more established metropolitan programs with clearer development pathways. Female Football Week creates a moment of shared recognition across that spectrum and acknowledges the role volunteers play, from running the canteen to progressing through the pathway.

Northern NSW Football has recorded some of its strongest participation numbers in women’s and girls’ football in recent seasons, a trend that has placed increasing pressure on clubs and facilities to keep pace. The week’s events offer clubs an opportunity to showcase their commitment to diversity and inclusion at a time when that commitment is being tested by growth.

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