215 Territories, 50 Partners: What Ligue 1’s International Footprint Reveals About Modern Football Media

As Ligue 1 McDonald’s enters its most expansive international media cycle to date, the league is quietly redefining how top-tier football properties scale globally. Now present across 215 territories through 50 broadcast partners, Ligue 1’s growth is not just a function of star power—but the result of a deliberate, multi-year shift in rights strategy, content production, and direct-to-consumer innovation.

In this conversation, David Labrune, International Media Rights Director at Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), explains how internalising international rights, adopting a market-specific sales approach, and launching Ligue 1+ have reshaped the league’s global footprint. From youth-focused content and social-first distribution to strategic partnerships across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, Labrune offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how Ligue 1 is positioning itself for the next phase of international growth—without disrupting its traditional broadcast ecosystem.

Ligue 1’s International Growth Story: 215 Territories, 50 Partners – what does this say about the league’s global appeal and rights strategy?

Ligue 1 McDonald’s now enjoys the most extensive international media footprint in its history. Despite a strongly competitive environment, we secured a solid growth compared to the previous cycle.

This growth is the result of a five-year strategy leading to the internalization of international media rights at LFP Media in 2024. We have invested in content production, storytelling, marketing, and digital initiatives to meet broadcaster expectations. We launched our own DTC platform in Iceland, UK and Ireland, and this technology later became the backbone of our Ligue 1+ channel in France.

This international growth is also the outcome of a creative multi-pronged rights sales approach: our global ITT launched in 2023 generated strong interest from broadcasters and agencies worldwide, helping us to fine-tune our approaches by market or by region.

These efforts are paying off and position us well for the future.

What’s Driving Demand for Ligue 1 Internationally?

First and foremost, the quality of the show on the pitch. Last season alone, we broke several records, including goals scored and stadium attendance. We didn’t suffer from the loss of big stars a couple of seasons ago, and our TV audiences kept increasing . This level of entertainment is highly appealing to our international broadcast partners, and ultimately to their subscribers.

Our major brands obviously help: PSG winning the UCL and reaching the CWC final is a strong driver. But more broadly, French clubs are performing really well, currently standing in the TOP-3 of all three European competitions. This allows us to showcase far more than a single powerhouse: De Zerbi’s Olympique de Marseille, Pogba’s AS Monaco, the comeback of Giroud to Ligue 1 McDonald’s by joining LOSC, or other ambitious projects such as Paris FC, RC Lens, RC Strasbourg, and others.

Local relevance also plays a key role. Ligue 1 McDonald’s is highly international, with 60% of foreign players, and we support this with numerous grassroots and fan-engagement initiatives, from youth tournaments in Africa to e-sport competitions across Asia, or by exporting the Super Cup to the Middle East, a strategic market for the league.

Partnering Strategically Across Regions (Asia, North America, Europe) – what LFP looks for in a “high-quality, long-term” broadcaster?

We prioritise trustworthy broadcasters who are committed to the long term. A very high renewal rate, 70%, illustrates the quality of our partnerships.

We also look for partners willing to invest in marketing and activations, and who are open to innovative approaches, whether that means working with a sportsbook in Mexico or a streamer in Brazil.

How Are International Media Partners Innovating Around Ligue 1?

Our international partners are increasingly creative in how they showcase Ligue 1, moving beyond traditional match broadcasts.

A strong area of innovation is social media. For years, we’ve been exploring how to fully leverage our 58M social media fanbase (the 3rd most followed league worldwide), with 85% of followers based internationally. We now work closely with broadcasters’ social teams on extensive call-to-action strategies designed to drive our fans directly to their platforms. This is reinforced by the creation of tailored digital content, including localized highlight formats, short-form storytelling, and creator-led pieces, helping us reach younger and more diverse audiences across social platforms.

Another example is the partnership with CANAL+ Afrique to create the first reality TV Show around football in Africa. Academies from France and 4 African countries participated in a brand new TV format which generated millions of viewers.

The Role of Infront & the Multi-Territory Strategy?

Infront is one of the most dynamic agencies in the market, and we are pleased to collaborate with them.

They bring strong local expertise while leveraging the global properties in their portfolio to enhance our reach and visibility.

We have also been very innovative on the betting and data front with their subsidiary Infront Bettor, introducing new event and tracking data technologies, and enriching our broadcast product with a wide range of advanced data insights.

The Rise of Ligue 1+: A New Way to Serve Global Fans – how the product will evolve internationally and complement—not replace—traditional media rights partners?

Some international broadcasters air only three to four matches per matchday. That leaves a significant amount of additional content from Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 without distribution. Ligue 1+ fills this gap, with strong appeal for expatriates and committed fans.

We also see strong opportunities for cross-promotion between our broadcasters and our OTT platform.

Beyond pure media rights, Ligue 1+ enables us to gather and activate a highly engaged global fanbase around a wider ecosystem of products.

To sum up, Ligue1+ naturally complements traditional broadcasters while maintaining a healthy balance.

Future Plans to Evolve Ligue 1’s Brand for International Fans?

A key focus for us at the moment is to target younger audiences more specifically, particularly those aged 7-12. We have developed dedicated TV shows for this demographic, ranking as the number 1 channel in France among kids when these programmes are aired. Our goal is to expand this youth-focused strategy internationally.

Another priority is to reinforce local relevance through innovative tools such as AI-powered translations or highlights.