‘Football in France should be on Canal+’ – Lyon owner John Textor states his position on Ligue 1’s broadcasting future | OneFootball

John Textor is calling for a return to the old days of Ligue 1 broadcasting. In an interview with Canal + International on Sunday evening, the owner of Olympique Lyonnais expressed his desire for the French TV channel to have exclusive broadcasting rights once again.

“Football in France should be on Canal. I don’t know what happened with all the leaders of French football, but it is a marriage that must be made once more,” said Textor, who referred to previous tensions between the channel and the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP).

In September 2023, it was announced that Ligue 1’s television rights would shift from Canal + to DAZN and beIN. Those two stations became the exclusive home for top-flight football in France at the beginning of this season and that will continue to be until 2029. They took over from Canal+, who had been broadcasting French top flight fixtures since 1984.

During the interview last weekend, Textor was reminded by Canal+ that the premium French network is the current broadcaster for Ligue 1 in Africa. Lyon’s owner said that needs to happen once again in France.

In late January, the Senate Committee on Culture asked French media executive Maxime Saada of Canal+ whether their station might re-acquire the Ligue 1 broadcasting rights. He responded by saying that that door is closed for now, but circumstances may change in the future.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre