Conference League Quarterfinal Pulled From Airwaves

French football fans eager to watch chelsea battle Legia Warsaw in the conference League quarterfinal will be disappointed. Canal+, the broadcasting rights holder, has been forced to cancel the broadcast of both legs of the tie due to a controversial sponsorship deal.

The Sponsor at the Center of the Controversy: Plus500

The issue stems from Plus500,a trading company and the jersey sponsor of legia Warsaw. This company offers contracts for difference (CFDs), financial products that are heavily regulated in France under the Sapin II law and the stringent oversight of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), the French financial markets regulator. CFDs are considered high-risk investments, and their promotion is severely restricted to protect consumers.

The AMF has been actively warning investors about the risks associated with CFDs for years. In a 2024 report, the AMF stated that 76% of individual investors lose money when trading CFDs. This high rate of loss underscores the regulator’s concerns and the rationale behind the strict advertising rules.

Regulatory Scrutiny and the Ban on Indirect Advertising

French authorities are taking a firm stance against the indirect promotion of prohibited financial products. The Directorate General for Competition,Consumption and the Repression of Frauds (DGCCRF) issued a notice to Canal+,ordering them to cease broadcasting matches featuring teams with the Plus500 sponsorship. The DGCCRF emphasized that advertisements are prohibited by the Consumer Code when they relate to investment services relating to risky financial contracts.

DGCCRF press release dating from January 2025: “The DGCCRF National Surveillance service noted, as part of its investigations, that the Canal+ group has repeatedly broadcast a readable advertisement on the jerseys of the football team of…

— Chelsea FR (@ChelseaFrance) April 9, 2025

Precedent and Potential Consequences

This isn’t the first time a similar situation has occurred. Earlier this season, champions League matches featuring Young Boys of Bern were also blocked from French television due to the same sponsorship conflict. Plus500 previously sponsored Atalanta Bergamo during the 2022-2023 season, raising similar concerns.

One potential consequence of these broadcast restrictions is a rise in illegal streaming via IPTV services. Frustrated fans may turn to unofficial sources to watch the games, increasing the risk of exposure to malware and other online threats. According to a recent report by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), illegal streaming costs the EU economy an estimated €3 billion annually.

Alternative Programming

Instead of the chelsea-Legia Warsaw match, Canal+ Sports will now broadcast the Europa League quarterfinal between Bodo glimt and Lazio Rome.