08/11/2002 - French film industry operators protest increase in cost of TV soccer rights and consequent damage to audiovisual production

French film industry professionals decided this week to launch a unified protest against the increase costs television French television companies are forced to pay for the broadcast rights to soccer matches. Talks between the football and television industries are ongoing.
The protest is lead by ARP (Writers, Directors & Producers), the French Producers’ and Film Exporters’ Union and SFR – the French film directors’ association, as well as audiovisual production union USPA and CSA – the Superior Audiovisual Council. They are all worried about the inflated costs for broadcast rights to the 2004-2007 seasons that, if paid, will result in there being less money available for film and audiovisual production.
In a letter to French minister for culture and communications, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre warned that “if nothing is done to prevent it, this will amount to stealing the TV channels’ takings.” SFR president, Pascal Thomas agreed. In an article published in French daily newspaper, “Le Monde”, Thomas appealed to the State to intervene and limit the talks, thus avoiding further increases in the so-called “soccer wars” that sees Canal+ and TF1 and M6 in opposing camps.

(Translated from French)