DAZN and Disney+ have secured the rights to broadcast La Liga in France, replacing beIN SPORTS as the competition’s official broadcaster from this season for the next three campaigns.
The change ends beIN SPORTS’ coverage of Spain’s top flight in France, where it had held the rights since 2012. French website Foot Mercato described the decision as a major shock for the country’s sports media landscape.
La Liga president Javier Tebas said the move was driven by a desire to improve viewing figures and broaden the competition’s reach among French audiences.
“After many years of complete satisfaction with beIN SPORTS, we needed a change. That change will come with Disney+ and DAZN. Both providers will offer all the matches from every matchday, meaning they will provide the same product,” Tebas said.
He added that supporters would be able to decide which service best suited their needs.
“Fans will be able to choose the platform they want to subscribe to. I believe this is a major advantage for French and Spanish football supporters. These are two different platforms: one specialises in sport, while Disney+ is not limited to sports content,” he said.
Tebas argued that the two services could complement one another in France and help La Liga appeal to a wider audience.
“In our view, they will complement each other extremely well in France. These are two new and innovative platforms that will allow audiences to follow our competition. We hope we have made the right decision, that we can reach as many fans as possible and give them the option of choosing the platform they prefer,” he said.
beIN SPORTS responded firmly to the decision, according to the French website, stressing that the loss of one set of rights would not alter its wider strategy.
“Running a television channel is not like the transfer market, where you gain or lose players to another club. It is a matter of sound economics and understanding our audience and their viewing habits,” the network said.
beIN SPORTS said it remained confident in the value of its existing portfolio and future plans.
“We have the rights we need, at the right price and with the right partners. We have had exceptional coverage of the 2026 World Cup, and there are other important rights on the way. We have a long-term business plan and a strong partnership with Canal+,” it added.
The broadcaster also criticised La Liga’s decision to divide its French rights between two platforms.
“La Liga has now chosen to split its rights between two channels. One of them already failed after only one season with Ligue 1. The other is still completely absent from the French market,” beIN SPORTS said.
The new arrangement means viewers in France will have two providers offering the full schedule of La Liga matches each round. DAZN is a sports-focused streaming service, while Disney+ offers a broader entertainment catalogue alongside its sports offering.
