TV rights: PSG president Nasser al-Khelaïfi targeted in France by an investigation for illegal conflict of interest

Nasser al-Khelaïfi, president of PSG and beIN Media Group, is the subject of a preliminary investigation in Paris for illegal taking of interest during a meeting in 2024 on television rights with the Professional Football League (LFP), the Paris prosecutor's office said on Sunday.

These investigations, revealed by the newspaper L'Équipe, were opened on April 24, 2026 and entrusted to the Financial Anti-Corruption Brigade (BFAC), following a report from the Anticor association, the public prosecutor's office specified.

According to a source close to the case, the anti-corruption association accuses Nasser al-Khelaïfi of having participated in this meeting "relating to the validation of the offer from beIN Sports, while he was also president of beIN Media Group".

By acting in this way, Mr. al-Khelaïfi "took an interest of a nature to compromise his impartiality, his independence or his objectivity, in an operation for which he was responsible for ensuring oversight", Anticor added in its report, explains the source close to the case.

These accusations are strongly contested by the defense.

"The allegations against Mr. Nasser al-Khelaïfi are unfounded: neither legally nor factually," his lawyer, Renaud Semerdjian, told AFP on Sunday. His client "has always acted independently, impartially, and objectively, in all circumstances," he insisted.

The affair dates back to a preparatory meeting in July 2024, held via video conference, regarding the allocation of football broadcasting rights. Footage of the meeting was subsequently made public by the France 2 program "Complément d'enquête" and the sports daily L'Equipe. The footage reveals significant tensions between PSG president Nasser al-Khelaïfi and other Ligue 1 club presidents.

This meeting took place the day after beIN Sports made a €100 million offer to the LFP for the broadcast of one Ligue 1 match per week.

The LFP had finally accepted beIN's offer.

Mr. al-Khelaïfi allegedly "exerted strong pressure on the other presidents of Ligue 1 clubs, with the aim of having the offer proposed by beIN Sports accepted" and implied "that he (was) behind" this offer, claims Anticor, according to the source close to the case.