Samba Digital drives streaming success for Ligue 1+ launch in UK & Ireland

Mission

When Ligue 1 launched their new streaming platform Ligue 1+, they needed a partner who could crack the tough UK and Irish markets. The challenge? Building awareness and subscribers for French football in markets dominated by Premier League passion.

The goal: Launch Ligue 1+ with a comprehensive 360° social strategy, increasing the subscribers numbers by season end, and position French football as unmissable entertainment through strategic campaign phases.

Strategic Campaign Phases

Our approach was built around three core pillars:

• Launch foundation: Platform introduction with strong brand positioning and core audience identification, establishing Ligue 1+ as a premium alternative to mainstream offerings.
• Season pass promotion: Value proposition amplification through targeted messaging, focusing on retention and conversion optimization while building engaged communities.
• Seasonal moments activation: Real-time content during big games and special events, maximizing peak engagement periods with culturally relevant storytelling.

Key Takeaways

1. Concept-driven creativity cuts through noise: The “unscripted drama” positioning transformed how audiences perceived Ligue 1, moving from “alternative league” to “premium entertainment experience.”
2. Phased launches build sustainable momentum: Strategic phase planning allowed for optimization and course correction, creating sustained growth rather than one-time spikes.
3. Cross-Team integration amplifies results: Combining Paid Media, Social, TikTok, and Studio expertise created synergistic effects that individual efforts couldn’t achieve.
4. Early success validates strategy for expansion: Strong initial performance provided the confidence and data needed to expand into additional European markets.

Ready to transform your streaming launch into cultural moments? Samba Digital’s 360° approach turns sports content into unmissable entertainment that global audiences can’t ignore.

Approach

To conquer these challenging markets, Samba Digital developed a three-phase campaign strategy with one powerful creative concept at its core.

The Creative Concept

Ligue 1 isn’t just football — it’s unscripted drama that unfolds live.
This positioning differentiated Ligue 1+ from traditional sports marketing, making French football feel fresh and exciting to UK/Irish audiences accustomed to Premier League dominance.