Invited to the “After FC” show this Thursday, Jérôme Cazadieu, editorial and marketing director of Ligue 1+, discussed the platform’s performance after a season of existence. He notably highlighted the decisive impact of the Classique between OM and PSG on the platform’s subscription dynamics.
Approaching its first year of broadcasting, Ligue 1+ claims around 1.1 million subscribers after nine months in the French market. This progression aligns with the season’s initial objectives. Like many paid channels, the platform saw a surge in subscribers at launch, followed by a stabilization phase.
A Winning Strategy
To succeed in the market, the LFP carefully crafted its strategy. “We aimed to offer two top 10 matches during the first five matchdays,” explained Jérôme Cazadieu, editorial director of Ligue 1+, on the show After FC. The favorable schedule allowed for several key matches in quick succession. The match between OL and OM kicked off the season on the third matchday, followed shortly after by the highly anticipated Classique.
Shifted due to weather conditions, the OM-PSG match played a crucial role in the platform’s growth. “We achieved exceptional viewership and recruitment numbers,” stated the executive. While acknowledging that a Sunday night broadcast might have attracted more live viewers for “purely mechanical reasons,” he did not see this change as detrimental.
“Thousands of Subscribers”
“During the match duration, despite competition from the Ballon d’Or and Ousmane Dembélé’s victory, we were the top program in France. We were even the leading channel,” he emphasized, seeing this as evidence of real interest in Ligue 1. In terms of subscriptions, the effect was immediate. “It’s very difficult to give an exact figure… but it’s a real boost,” admitted Jérôme Cazadieu, mentioning “thousands of additional subscribers” recruited on this occasion.
Reproducing such a scenario next season may prove more challenging. “The international calendar will be different, with one less break. This season, we had three matchdays before a break, then a resumption. Next year, there will be five consecutive matchdays,” he concluded. The key question will be when the Classique is scheduled.
