Champions League club 'avoid' bankruptcy with £420m deal agreed ahead of Newcastle United meeting
Several Ligue 1 clubs may have been saved from potential bankruptcy after an 11th-hour broadcasting rights package was agreed.
According to L’Equipe, Stade Brestois, Auxerre, Lens, Nantes, Stade Reims, Montpellier, Le Harve and Angers were all at risk of bankruptcy heading into the new 2024-25 season without a television deal in place.
Now a deal has been struck with DAZN and beIN Sports for the French top flight. Reports from France claim the deal is worth £420million for domestic broadcast rights with every club in the division due a share.
Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) boss Vincent Labrune was initially looking to strike a domestic broadcasting deal worth around £1billion per season only for DAZN and beIN Sports to negotiate a deal worth less than half of that.
Stade Brestois will visit Newcastle United ahead of the upcoming 2024-25 campaign for the Sela Cup at St James’ Park on August 10 (4pm kick-off). Brest finished third in the top flight last season and qualified for the Champions League as a result.
But they may have been forced to file for bankruptcy had a broadcasting package not been agreed.
Newcastle will host Brest after facing La Liga side Girona in a friendly match on Friday, August 9 (7:30pm kick-off). Girona will also compete in the upcoming 2024-25 Champions League with Brest.
The broadcasting agreement was validated by directors of Ligue 1 clubs during an LFP board meeting on Sunday, July 14.
The Ligue 1 season is due to start on Friday, August 16.