French Parliament Adopts Major Reform of Professional Sports Governance
The French Parliament definitively adopted the Lafon bill on July 20-21, 2026, reforming professional sports organization, management, and financing, primarily targeting football excesses. Key measures include allowing federations to withdraw public service sub-delegation from leagues in financial crisis, enabling commercial companies to replace leagues, capping TV rights redistribution at a 1:3 ratio between clubs, regulating multi-club ownership via the DNCG, and introducing salary caps for federation leaders. The reform also strengthens anti-piracy measures and supports women’s professional sport.
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French Parliament Adopts Major Reform on Professional Football Governance Including Salary Cap and TV Rights Redistribution
The French Parliament has definitively adopted a major reform on the governance of professional sport, primarily targeting football. The Senate unanimously approved the bill on July 21, 2026, following the National Assembly's vote. Key measures include allowing sports federations to withdraw sub-delegation of public service from leagues in financial distress, enabling federations to create commercial companies to replace leagues like the LFP, and regulating TV rights redistribution with a maximum 1:3 ratio between best and least funded clubs. A salary cap for federation leaders and employees was retained, with a derogation procedure for key positions like the national team coach. The ban on multi-club ownership was dropped, but the DNCG financial watchdog received extended powers to oppose sales. The reform also includes anti-piracy measures and support for women's competitions. FFF President Philippe Diallo called the reform 'historic' and announced a fall meeting to launch a commercial company.
French Parliament Adopts Professional Sports Reform Targeting Football Excesses
The French Parliament definitively adopted the Lafon bill on July 20-21, 2026, reforming the organization, management, and financing of professional sports, with a particular focus on curbing excesses in football. The text, sponsored by Senator Laurent Lafon, was passed by the National Assembly and the Senate. Key measures include allowing sports federations to withdraw public service sub-delegation from leagues in financial distress, enabling a commercial company to take over rights management and competition organization. The law strengthens financial oversight by the Court of Auditors, expands management control bodies' powers, regulates club buyouts, caps audiovisual revenue redistribution gaps at 1:3 between clubs in the same competition, prevents conflicts of interest with broadcasters, and enhances anti-piracy and bettor protection. The reform requires further decrees and agreements before becoming fully operational, and must be promulgated by the President within 15 days unless the Constitutional Council is seized.
French Parliament Adopts Professional Sports Reform Targeting Football Abuses
The French Parliament definitively adopted the Lafon bill on the organization, management, and financing of professional sport on July 20-21, 2026. Sponsored by Senator Laurent Lafon, the text targets excesses in football, particularly the sport's TV rights crisis. Key measures include allowing sports federations to withdraw public service sub-delegation from leagues in cases of failure or financial difficulty, with a commercial company potentially taking over rights management and competition organization. The law strengthens financial oversight by the Court of Auditors and management control bodies, regulates club buyouts, sets a maximum 1:3 redistribution gap for audiovisual revenue between clubs in the same competition, prevents broadcaster conflicts of interest, and enhances anti-piracy and bettor protection measures. The reform requires promulgation by the President within 15 days and depends on future decrees and agreements before becoming operational.
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French Parliament Adopts Professional Sports Reform Bill
On July 21, 2026, the French Parliament definitively adopted a bill reforming the governance of professional sports, following a final unanimous vote in the Senate. Sponsored by Senator Laurent Lafon, the legislation stems from a parliamentary mission addressing excesses and financialization in professional sports, particularly football. Key measures include strengthening federations' authority to withdraw public service delegation from leagues (notably targeting the LFP amid TV rights crises), redistributing audiovisual rights among clubs, limiting federation leader compensation, and expanding DNCG powers over club buyouts. A proposed ban on multi-ownership between French and foreign clubs was abandoned. The bill also includes anti-piracy measures and provisions to support women's sports. Sports Minister Marina Ferrari committed to quickly issuing implementing decrees.
French Parliament Adopts Professional Sports Reform Law Targeting Football Excesses
The French Parliament definitively adopted a law reforming professional sports governance, primarily targeting football's financial excesses. The Senate unanimously approved the bill proposed by Senator Laurent Lafon, following a parliamentary mission on football financialization. Key measures include allowing sports federations to withdraw public service sub-delegation from leagues after government approval, capping executive salaries, and regulating TV rights redistribution among clubs. The law enables federations to create commercial companies to replace leagues like the LFP. However, a ban on multi-club ownership was not retained, though the DNCG financial watchdog gained extended powers to oppose sales on that basis. The text also includes anti-piracy measures and provisions for women's sports, though senators noted no guaranteed viable economic model for women's competitions. Sports Minister Marina Ferrari committed to publishing implementing decrees promptly.
French lawmakers agree on professional sport reform targeting football regulation
French deputies and senators reached a unanimous agreement on July 8 on a reform of professional sport, with final parliamentary adoption expected on July 21. The bill aims to address abuses in football by strengthening federation control over leagues. Key measures include allowing federations to withdraw sub-delegation of public service from leagues in financial crisis, creating commercial companies to replace leagues, regulating TV rights redistribution with a maximum 1:3 ratio between clubs, capping salaries of federation leaders, and empowering the DNCG to oppose multi-club ownership deals that threaten sporting uncertainty. The compromise backtracked from an earlier outright ban on multi-club ownership. The reform directly targets French football's ongoing TV rights crisis.
French Sports Reform Law to Be Finalized Before End of July
The French law on the organization, management, and financing of professional sport was unanimously approved by the Joint Committee of the National Assembly and Senate on Wednesday. The final vote is scheduled for July 20 in the Assembly and July 21 in the Senate. The text, initiated by senators Michel Savin and Laurent Lafon following abuses in professional football, removes or softens several controversial amendments that had drawn criticism from sports stakeholders. Key changes include raising the salary cap for federation employees to 450,000 euros, allowing exceptions for specific positions with ministerial approval; softening the ban on multi-club ownership, with oversight by the DNCG; rejecting a ban on sports betting advertising five minutes before and after matches; and encouraging the development of professional women's sport. The law also tightens regulation of sports agents. The Professional Football League had called for revisions, and most problematic points were addressed. The reform aims to create a healthier, more efficient, and competitive future for French sport.
French National Assembly Votes on Professional Sports Reform Law
The French National Assembly voted 75 to 2 in favor of the bill on the organization, management and financing of professional sport, passed a year after Senate adoption. The session examined 360 amendments. Key changes include dropping the requirement for a free-to-air broadcast slot per matchday and removing the need for binding fan consultation. The maximum 1-to-3 distribution gap for audiovisual rights was retained for football only. Three contentious amendments—banning multi-club ownership (grandfathered), prohibiting sports betting ads five minutes before/after matches, and extending salary caps to federation employees—were deferred to a joint committee meeting on July 8. MP Agnès Firmin-Le Bodo criticized LFP leaders opposing the law.