Disney & Skydance Looking to Bid for Football Rights

Two things are very true right now when it comes to television and streaming. Live sports are still a major profit center, and growth in streaming is mainly focused on international markets. These factors are likely why both Disney and the newest version of Skydance are considering bidding for the distribution rights of the  French Professional Football League.

What's Happening:

• The French Professional Football League, Ligue 1, has launched a tender for its domestic audiovisual rights for 2027 through 2032.
• According to Bloomberg, two companies that are considering offering bids are Disney and Skydance.
• There is reportedly a minimum reserve price for the bids, but the amount has not been publicly disclosed.
• Since the rights are only domestic, we're not going to see the league on ESPN in the U.S., but in the local market, whoever gets these rights will probably be in a very good position, and Disney has already been working to improve its standing in France.
• With Skydance having recently acquired Warner Bros. Discovery, there are still a lot of questions regarding just how the new company will be moving forward, and what it will see as important. This bid could provide some insight if it's something Skydance really decides to go after.
• Bids must be submitted by December 3.

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