Deloitte's analysis examines the operational shift of sports rightsholders, such as the LFP and the Premier League, as they transition from traditional rights licensors to media companies managing their own D2C streaming platforms. The report highlights the technological, organizational, and strategic complexities that organizations must navigate to successfully own the full streaming value chain.
The launch of Ligue 1+ signifies a critical transition for sports rightsholders from simple content licensors to fully integrated media businesses. By owning the distribution stack, leagues can bypass the risk of diminishing competition among traditional broadcasters while securing valuable first-party fan data. This shift forces a reorganization of the streaming value chain, requiring leagues to manage their own churn, customer acquisition, and technical infrastructure. For the broader ecosystem, this move establishes a 'backstop' model that reduces dependency on third-party media rights auctions. Watch for Ligue 1+ subscriber conversion rates and the impact of the lower price point on domestic piracy levels as a proxy for the success of this model.
The LFP officially launched Ligue 1+ on August 15, 2025, offering monthly packages starting at €9.99, significantly lower than the €29.99 initially charged by DAZN. Per Omdia (August 2025), the league has set a target of 2.2 million to 2.5 million subscribers over four seasons. This strategic pivot followed a tumultuous period where a five-year rights agreement with DAZN was terminated after just one season due to disputes over piracy and editorial cooperation. To support this transition, the LFP secured a court ruling in July 2025 allowing ISPs to block illegal streaming sites and partnered with Mediawan for in-house content production, per Sportcal (July 2025).
Concurrently, the Premier League is preparing to debut its own D2C service, Premier League+, in Singapore on August 5, 2026. According to SportsPro (May 2026), the service will offer all 380 matches in 4K for S$44 (US$34) per month, operating in partnership with local telco StarHub. This follows a 27% growth in international broadcast revenues, with the league using Singapore as a pilot to test pricing, churn management, and its new 73,000-square-foot production hub in West London, per Ministry of Sport (February 2026).
Other sports properties are seeing success with similar internal media models. Liberty Media reported that Formula One revenue reached $3.9 billion in 2025, a 14% year-over-year increase, partially driven by the continued expansion of F1TV subscriptions. Per BlackBook Motorsport (February 2026), media rights now account for 31.3% of total F1 revenue. These results reinforce the Deloitte analysis that a dedicated MediaCo structure can successfully coexist with third-party broadcast sales while providing a more resilient revenue stream in a fragmented media landscape.
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