According to reports from L’Équipe, PSG president and beIN Media Group, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, is under scrutiny by the Anticor association for alleged illegal intervention in the negotiations for the Ligue 1 TV rights in 2024.
A video captured heated exchanges during a meeting between Ligue 1 presidents regarding the TV rights bidding process. Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, president of PSG and beIN Sports, was seen engaging in verbal disputes with Joseph Oughourlian, RC Lens owner, and John Textor, owner of Olympique Lyonnais.
The two leaders accused Al-Khelaïfi of being in a conflict of interest position. Over a year later, Anticor filed a complaint with the Paris prosecutor’s office, suspecting Al-Khelaïfi pressured club presidents to favor beIN Sports in the bidding process.
A complaint labeled as “absurd” by Al-Khelaïfi’s entourage, who argued that it was the clubs, league representatives, and even political figures who pressured beIN to fund the match broadcast, not the other way around. The creation of a channel for Ligue 1 (later known as Ligue 1+ last summer) was discussed, along with co-broadcasting between DAZN (8 matches) and beIN Sports (1 match). The latter option was ultimately chosen in an emergency situation to save certain elite clubs.
The saga involved accusations of intimidation and conflicts of interest among the stakeholders. John Textor labeled Al-Khelaïfi as a “tyrant”, while Al-Khelaïfi responded with, “John, stop talking, you understand nothing. You come from I don’t know where, cowboy.”
References to the Premier League as a model for handling conflicts of interest were made by Textor, emphasizing the need for disclosure and mitigation.
