Ligue 1+ Subscriber Numbers Don’t Translate to Financial Gains for Clubs
Despite a successful launch and rapid subscriber growth, the financial benefits of Ligue 1+ are not yet reaching French football clubs as expected.The platform, managed directly by the Professional Football league, has already surpassed one million subscribers, with 72% opting for full-season access, reaching a total of 1.08 million followers.
Though, the early promise of increased revenue has been dampened by the fallout from the terminated deal with DAZN. While fees were collected for the early termination, these funds have not resulted in a windfall for Ligue 1 players, effectively negating any potential boost.
The financial strain is already visible in club accounts.Olympique Lyonnais (OL), a publicly traded company, recently released its financial results for the first quarter of the 2025-2026 fiscal year, showing a 7% revenue increase largely attributed to summer player transfers. Despite this, OL is projected to report a “very significantly in deficit” result for the full 2024-2025 season.
A key contributor to this financial pressure is a notable drop in television rights revenue. OL’s revenue from TV rights decreased by 35% between July and September 2025, falling from €2.8 million to €1.8 million year-over-year. This decline occurs despite the positive performance of Ligue 1+ itself, highlighting a disconnect between subscriber numbers and revenue distribution to clubs.
OL generated a total turnover of €70.8 million during this period,compared to €66.1 million last year,but the TV rights decrease underscores the challenges facing clubs even with the new streaming platform in operation.The situation highlights the complexities of the new broadcasting model and its impact on club finances,even as Ligue 1+ continues to attract subscribers.
