Ligue 1

What Ligue 1 does

Ligue 1 is France’s top-tier professional football championship and is operated by the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), a private non-profit association established in 1944. LFP also manages Ligue 2 and serves the professional clubs participating in the two competitions. Its operating structure includes two wholly owned commercial subsidiaries: Filiale LFP 1 handles broadcasting-rights commercialization, while Filiale LFP 2 manages Ligue 1+ audiovisual operations.

The LFP’s digital product portfolio centers on Ligue 1+, a direct-to-consumer streaming service offering live and on-demand Ligue 1 content, including eight of nine weekly matches live, replays, highlights, and more than 100 original programs. The platform is distributed through web, iOS, Android, major smart-TV systems, Apple TV, and PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles; it supports up to two simultaneous streams, live restart, digital rights management, and personalized favorite-club and player settings. My Ligue, Fantasy L1, Mon Petit Prono, and Mon Petit Gazon extend the product surface into news, alerts, fantasy sports, and prediction games.

Commercialization combines consumer subscriptions, individual-match pay-per-view, international broadcast-rights licensing, sponsorship and naming rights, and advertising. Ligue 1+ is offered to residents of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and Italy at £9.99 per month or £79.99 per season, while Amazon Prime Video offers selected UK matches for £2.49 each. Distribution also includes beIN SPORTS and other international broadcasters, with geographic restrictions arising from content rights, local broadcast rules, and the absence of VPN support.

Name

Ligue 1

Legal name

Ligue de Football Professionnel

Website

https://ligue1.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ligue 1 is the top-tier professional football championship operated by France’s LFP, serving clubs, international fans, broadcasters, and sponsors through competitions, streaming, mobile, fantasy-sports, gaming, and related media-rights commercialization services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Broadcasting and Media

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Sports Streaming Platforms (MPAKAOAA), League/Team-Owned Digital Broadcast Networks (MPAKAOAC), Fantasy Contests, Leagues & Tournament Organizers (MPAEAHAF), International Sports Broadcasters & Rights Networks (MPABAJAE)

Keywords

• Professional football league
• Live sports streaming
• Broadcast rights licensing
• Fantasy football game
• Sports digital media

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ligue 1+ Subscription Revenue: Monthly and seasonal subscription fees for streaming access to live matches, replays, and exclusive content. Seasonal Pass at £79.99 with full season commitment; Monthly Pass at £9.99/month with no commitment.
2. Pay-Per-View Matches: Individual matches available for £2.49 each through Amazon Prime Video, offering flexible access without requiring full subscription.
3. Broadcasting Rights: Sale of broadcasting rights to international broadcasters including beIN SPORTS and other regional partners for live match coverage in territories outside France.
4. Sponsorship and Naming Rights: Naming rights partnerships with title sponsors: McDonald's for Ligue 1 and BKT for Ligue 2. Additional partnerships with Essilor (major partner), Decathlon, La Poste, and PointP (official partners).
5. Advertising Revenue: FILIALE LFP 2 may insert advertising and promotional elements before or during live and replay content viewing, including advertising banners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Ligue 1 (Ligue de Football Professionnel) organizes and operates France's top-tier professional football championship (Ligue 1 McDonald's) and second-tier league (Ligue 2 BKT). It sells direct-to-consumer streaming access to 8 out of 9 weekly Ligue 1 matches via the Ligue 1+ subscription platform, and licenses broadcasting rights internationally. Supporting digital products include the Fantasy L1 fantasy football game, Mon Petit Prono and Mon Petit Gazon prediction games, and the My Ligue mobile app for news and match updates.

Product overview

Ligue 1 (Ligue de Football Professionnel) operates a portfolio of football competitions and digital services. The core products are Ligue 1 McDonald's (top-tier league) and Ligue 2 BKT (second-tier league). The Ligue 1+ platform serves as the digital streaming subscription service for live and on-demand match access. Supporting products include the My Ligue mobile app, the Fantasy L1 fantasy football game, and gaming prediction services Mon Petit Prono (MPP) and Mon Petit Gazon (MPG). The ecosystem is connected through user accounts that allow personalization of favorite clubs and cross-product access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• My Ligue: Official mobile application for Ligue 1 news, updates, and match coverage.
• Mon Petit Prono (MPP)
• Mon Petit Gazon (MPG)
• Fantasy L1

Products and services

• Ligue 1 McDonald's France's top-tier professional football league featuring 18 clubs. The competition is the primary product under the Ligue 1 McDonald's brand, organized annually by LFP.
• Ligue 2 BKT France's second-tier professional football league, operating under the Ligue 2 BKT brand. Serves as the developmental division below Ligue 1 McDonald's, featuring 20 clubs.
• Ligue 1+ Digital subscription streaming service offering live and on-demand access to 8 out of 9 Ligue 1 McDonald's weekly matches, replays, highlights, and exclusive original programming. Available in UK, Ireland, and Italy with Season Pass (£79.99) and Monthly Pass (£9.99) options.
• Fantasy L1 Official fantasy football game allowing users to act as virtual coaches, selecting players from Ligue 1 McDonald's clubs to build fantasy teams and compete based on real-match performance.
• My Ligue App Official mobile application for Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 available on iOS and Android. Provides news, match updates, standings, and notifications for all clubs in the competitions.
• Mon Petit Prono (MPP) Gaming prediction service allowing users to make football predictions and compete based on accuracy of their forecasts for Ligue 1 and other football competitions.
• Mon Petit Gazon (MPG) Fantasy football league service acquired by LFP in July 2023, allowing users to create and manage virtual football teams using real player statistics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ original programs available in content library
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• Amazon Prime VideocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 February 2025Amazon launched live pay-per-view soccer service on Prime Video featuring Ligue 1 as its first partner. Matches priced at £2.49 each in the UK, expanding Amazon's sports aggregation strategy without requiring Prime subscription.
• McDonald'sflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTitle sponsor of Ligue 1 McDonald's. McDonald's branding prominently featured in league name, official website, and all official communications. Major naming rights partnership providing significant sponsorship revenue.
• BKTflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTitle sponsor of Ligue 2 BKT. BKT (tire manufacturer) branding in league name for second-tier competition.
• EssilormajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partner of Ligue 1 McDonald's with logo presence on official channels.
• DecathloncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner of Ligue 1 McDonald's, providing sports equipment and apparel partnership.
• La PostecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner of Ligue 1 McDonald's, French postal service with logo presence.
• PointPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner of Ligue 1 McDonald's, building materials retailer.
• beIN SPORTSflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial broadcaster of Ligue 1 McDonald's. Distributes live match coverage to subscribers in various territories worldwide.
• Ligue 1+ (LFP's own platform)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial broadcaster and streaming platform for Ligue 1 McDonald's content. Direct-to-consumer subscription service at plus.ligue1.com.
• Dice Technology Limited (Endeavor Streaming)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner hosting the Ligue 1+ streaming platform (plus.ligue1.com). Provides video streaming infrastructure and digital rights management.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Premier League: England's top-tier professional football league and the global benchmark for soccer league commercialization. Operates a similar model combining broadcasting rights sales, DTC streaming (via Premier League Productions and third-party platforms), title sponsors, and an extensive digital ecosystem — making it the closest structural and operational peer to Ligue 1.
• Serie A: Italy's top-tier professional football league. Operates broadcasting-rights commercialization, international distribution, and digital products comparable to Ligue 1+; both leagues sit in the second tier of European football commercial value and compete for international broadcast dollars.
• DAZN: Global sports streaming platform and a former Ligue 1 broadcasting partner. Operates a directly comparable DTC sports subscription model and competes with Ligue 1+ for sports-streaming subscribers across European markets.
• Bundesliga: Germany's top-tier professional football league, operated by the DFL. Combines international broadcasting rights, DTC products, sponsorships (e.g., title sponsor history), and fan-engagement platforms — a structurally analogous model to Ligue 1 across European soccer league economics.
• Major League Soccer (MLS): North America's top-tier professional soccer league. Comparable to Ligue 1 as a professional football league operator, with a notable strategic parallel: MLS's landmark DTC streaming deal with Apple TV mirrors Ligue 1's investment in its own Ligue 1+ platform.
• La Liga: Spain's top-tier professional football league featuring clubs like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. Operates a comparable broadcasting-rights and DTC model, including LaLigaTV, plus sponsor stack and international expansion — directly comparable to Ligue 1's structure and revenue mix.

Broad incumbents

• UEFA: The governing body of European football, organizer of UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. A broader incumbent that overlaps with Ligue 1 in broadcasting rights sales, sponsorship sales, and pan-European fan engagement, while operating at a higher competitive tier.
• ESPN+: Disney-owned DTC sports streaming service. Operates a subscription streaming model for live sports with multi-device support and content tiers; comparable to Ligue 1+ as a sports OTT subscription product and competitor for sports-streaming consumer spend.

Others

• beIN SPORTS: Flagship international broadcaster partner for Ligue 1, distributing matches in MENA and other territories. Both a distribution partner and a competitor in regional sports content aggregation; comparable as an OTT sports broadcaster with overlapping rights portfolios.
• Amazon Prime Video Sports: Amazon's live and on-demand sports offering, which became a Ligue 1 PPV distribution partner in February 2025. Functions as both a channel partner (driving reach and PPV revenue) and a broader incumbent aggregating sports rights against Ligue 1+.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ligue1
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ligue1
• Instagraminstagram.com/ligue1mcdonalds
• TikToktiktok.com/@ligue1

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ligue 1