La Liga and French broadcasters criticise FIFA’s ExpressVPN deal after Paris court rulings | OneFootball

FIFA’s decision to sign ExpressVPN as a 2026 World Cup sponsor has prompted formal protests from La Liga and France’s Association pour la protection des programmes sportifs. They object to platforming a company ruled against in France in anti-piracy cases.

L'Équipe reports that FIFA unveiled the late deal on 11 June, with ExpressVPN visible on stadium advertising. The report adds FIFA said it had run due diligence and taken steps to ensure the tie-up does not harm rights holders or stakeholders. Both complainants want FIFA to ensure the sponsor blocks illicit access.

After the agreement, La Liga president Javier Tebas wrote to Gianni Infantino. Citing Paris court rulings against ExpressVPN, his letter argued the deal conflicts with football’s audiovisual rights protections and could undermine ongoing cases in several jurisdictions by La Liga, beIN Sports France, Canal+ and others.

APPS, spurred by member LFP Media, the LFP’s commercial arm as Ligue 1+ prepares to show all matches alone, also wrote to FIFA over a week ago. It noted Paris court orders for VPNs to block French access to pirate IPTV, and said ExpressVPN had not applied effective blocking and had systematically contested enforcement.

APPS urged FIFA to show consistency in partner selection, stressing the need to safeguard the integrity, sustainability and value of competitions and their audiovisual exploitation. The organisations are awaiting a response and say the silence to date has become irksome.

Source: L'Équipe