While negotiations between the League and the two contenders for Ligue 1 TV rights have still not resulted in an agreement, the clubs have already understood that their lifestyles will be significantly impacted. The deal of €500 million per year (DAZN offered €400 million for 8 matches and BeIN €100 million for the best match), is far below Vincent Labrune’s dreams.
Faced with this drop in revenue, the LFP leaders are inspecting all the lines of expenditure on which they can make savings. One of them concerns the implementation of VAR (video-assisted refereeing). Initially planned for 2023, it was the subject of a new contract with the service provider operating in Ligue 1, the company Hawk-Eye. The latter took advantage of the break to install its system in Ligue 2 stadiums. For more than six months, the referees who officiate at this level have been receiving special training, in order to obtain FIFA certification to be able to use video.
But if everything seems ready, the significant cost of VAR (€7.7 million in Ligue 1) is forcing the League to review its plans given the economic context. Nothing has been decided yet, but all the Ligue 2 presidents are preparing for it. Jean-Pierre Caillot, president of Reims, also mentioned this possibility in The Team July 8. Asked about the savings that French professional football could find, the president of Reims wondered: “VAR costs a lot of money. Should we continue it?” The League now seems to have a fixed idea on the subject.
