beIN confirm France World Cup rights for 2026 and 2030 as LFP Media chief quits

beIN Sports have confirmed they have secured the pay-TV rights in France to the 2026 and 2030 FIFA World Cups, in a deal that ends weeks of uncertainty over who would carry the tournaments after Ligue 1’s in-house platform had been linked to an agreement with FIFA.The arrangement means beIN will show the full tournaments on pay television in France, while a free-to-air package remains in place for each edition. In an email to staff, beIN Sports France president Yousef al-Obaidly said FIFA had informed the broadcaster it had been awarded the rights for the paid package. He wrote: “We were informed this morning by FIFA that we had obtained the rights to all matches of the FIFA World Cups 2026 and 2030 for pay television.“The World Cup rights process illustrated the best of beIN, despite campaigns led by some against us. We respected FIFA’s process and remained patient and determined.”.Al-Obaidly also criticised the approach taken by Ligue 1+, the Ligue de Football Professionnel’s direct-to-consumer service, describing what he said was an attempt to shape the process publicly. He continued: “Other competitors adopted a different communications strategy and, shortly after our event, cynical media pressure was exerted on the process by a competing broadcaster. That is not how beIN works. We prefer to conduct our business with respect, fairness and discretion.”.The confirmation lands against a volatile backdrop in French football’s media market, with Ligue 1 attempting to stabilise its economics through its own platform while long-term distribution and wholesale arrangements remain contested. The World Cup rights were viewed inside the league as a potentially valuable acquisition for subscriber growth and retention, even though the tournament sits outside domestic football’s core calendar.As a result, Nicolas de Tavernost has resigned as chief executive of LFP Media, the LFP’s commercial arm, after less than a year in the role. De Tavernost had been leading the strategy around Ligue 1’s media operations and the platform’s wider commercial positioning, making the World Cup outcome an immediate pressure point for the project’s credibility.France’s free-to-air allocation remains protected through an existing package, with 54 matches set to be shown on M6 for each tournament, leaving the remainder on pay television under beIN’s deal. The 2026 World Cup will be staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the 2030 edition set to be hosted across multiple countries.