The high cost of watching French soccer is driving fans to illegal streams.
In France, soccer fans are increasingly turning to illegal streaming platforms to watch Ligue 1 matches, mainly due to the rising costs of legal subscription services. This trend recently reached a new peak during the season opener between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Le Havre, where an unprecedented number of viewers chose to bypass official channels.
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Ligue 1 opener draws over 200,000 illegal viewers on Telegram
Friday night marked the kickoff of the French Ligue 1 football season, with reigning champions PSG taking on Le Havre in what seemed like a routine match. However, the match made headlines not for the result—a 4-1 victory for PSG—but for the staggering number of people who watched the game illegally. Instead of tuning in via DAZN, the official broadcaster of Ligue 1, over 200,000 viewers opted to watch the match for free on Telegram, a messaging app known for its encrypted communication and now increasingly used for pirated content.
Fans boycott DAZN over high subscription costs
The reason for this mass migration to illegal streams? The steep subscription fees set by DAZN. With prices set at €29.99 per month with a yearly commitment or €39.99 per month without one, many fans have found the cost prohibitive. The backlash was immediate, with hashtags like #BoycottDAZN and #DAZN trending on X (formerly Twitter) the very next day. According to reports, even some fans who had never considered illegal streaming before decided to take the plunge, citing DAZN’s pricing as the final straw.
DAZN faces uphill battle to reach subscriber targets
DAZN aims to attract 1.5 million subscribers in France, but the company faces significant challenges. With the French public already feeling the squeeze on their household budgets, many are questioning the value of paying such high prices, especially when the league has lost one of its biggest stars, Kylian Mbappé, to Real Madrid. One fan interviewed by L’Équipe expressed little remorse about turning to illegal streams, criticizing how subscription fees are used to “overpay mediocre players, enrich agents, and allow club executives to juggle millions.”
Piracy: A growing concern for Ligue 1
The rise in illegal streaming is a serious concern for Ligue 1 clubs, whose revenue is heavily reliant on broadcast deals. The French Professional Football League (LFP) has attempted to combat piracy with anti-piracy measures, but the efforts have been met with mixed results. While illegal streams on Telegram are flagged by Atheltia, the league’s anti-piracy partner, the response times for taking down content can be slow, sometimes taking up to 24 hours—far too long to effectively stop live broadcasts.
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With an estimated 2 to 2.5 million people in France consuming content illegally through IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), the challenge for DAZN and Ligue 1 is daunting. This figure far exceeds the 1.5 million subscribers DAZN is targeting, highlighting the scale of the problem. As the battle between legal and illegal streaming continues, it remains to be seen how this will impact the future of sports broadcasting in France.
