According to a report by Etienne Moatti for lequipe.fr, the Fédération Française de Football (FFF) is facing growing anxiety over the domestic television rights revenue for the Coupe de France. While the governing body has been financially relieved by the national team's successful run to the World Cup semi-finals—guaranteeing at least 25.8 million euros in FIFA prize money—the domestic front remains highly unstable. The consultation process to renew the broadcasting rights for the historic tournament, which expired in June, has officially dragged on for eight months without reaching a definitive resolution.
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Subscribe Sekarang →The primary source of delay stems from the free-to-air broadcasting package, traditionally held by public broadcaster France Télévisions, which has long been the primary financial contributor at 8 million euros annually. Under unprecedented budgetary pressures, the public network is actively attempting to slash its financial commitment by half, offering a reduced package of only 4 million euros per year. However, this revised proposal has not even been officially ratified by the broadcaster's governing bodies, as executives claim they are still awaiting a formalized budgetary framework from the government before making concrete commitments.
During a recent press presentation for the upcoming television season, France Télévisions executives could not guarantee future programming stability, failing to rule out another resale of Six Nations rugby matches to commercial rival TF1 to balance the books. From editorial monitoring, it is noted that France Télévisions previously saved an estimated 15 million euros by ceding nine rugby matches to TF1. Regarding the Coupe de France, the strategy remains entirely opaque. Stéphane Sitbon-Gomez, the Managing Director of the public group, openly admitted to journalists that they cannot provide guarantees for any sports programming until the official budget for next year is firmly established.
Based on statements from Delphine Ernotte Cunci, the President of France Télévisions, there is currently no precise timeline for when this crucial economic framework will be delivered by the state. The network has already implemented over 80 million euros in content and sports budget cuts this season, with an additional 20 million euros in savings projected for 2027 in a best-case scenario. This fiscal tightening has triggered visible irritation within the FFF leadership, especially since federation president Philippe Diallo had confidently predicted a swift resolution to the TV rights dilemma just over a month ago.
From editorial team observations, the situation contrasts sharply with the pay-TV segment, where broadcaster beIN Sports has shown far greater financial enthusiasm for the tournament. The Franco-Qatari network has successfully locked in a lucrative deal to broadcast all matches starting from the Round of 64 through 2030. Following a final round of negotiations spearheaded by Philippe Diallo, beIN Sports elevated its initial 8 million euro annual offer to a confirmed 9 million euros per year, leaving the FFF to anxiously wait out the public broadcaster to complete its television package.