Ligue 1 Goes Direct-to-Consumer in the UK with Ligue 1 Pass

The Ligue 1, France's top professional football league, has announced that it will be offering its matches directly to consumers in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland through its streaming platform, Ligue 1 Pass. This comes after the league failed to secure a distribution deal with a traditional broadcaster in the region. Previously, Ligue 1 games were available in the UK via TNT Sports, which reportedly decided not to renew its deal for the current season.

LFP Media, the organization behind the streaming platform, is aiming to test out its service in the British market, which has a strong passion for football and a well-established OTT offering. Additionally, the UK is home to the largest number of French expatriates globally, with over 140,000 individuals from France residing there. To further engage this community, LFP Media is planning to collaborate with the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce & Industry to promote the Ligue 1 Pass to French communities in London and throughout England.

The Ligue 1 Pass offers more than just live matches. It includes a variety of original content specifically created for the platform and several innovative functionalities that will be launched throughout the season. LFP Media has received support from Endeavor Streaming, a subsidiary of the Endeavor group, in developing the Ligue 1 Pass. While a web version is already available, an app version will be launched across all platforms starting from Round 3 of the league season.

In a related development, streaming platform OneFootball has announced that it will exclusively distribute Home of Serie A, the direct-to-consumer service for the Italian league, in the UK and Ireland. All 380 matches from the Italian top flight's 2024/25 season will be streamed on the platform. OneFootball will offer various subscription options, including a pay-per-view option for individual matches at £4.99, a team pass for £79.99, or a season pass for £99.99. Fans can watch the second and third rounds of Serie A fixtures for free before needing to subscribe.