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

Posted 15 September 2025

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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.

Results

The impact exceeded expectations right from kickoff:

60% of season target achieved in initial phase alone
Multi-market success leading to expansion into Italian market
Cross-team collaboration success bringing together Paid Media, TikTok, Social Media, and Studio teams

Through this strategic launch, Samba Digital successfully positioned Ligue 1+ as a must-have streaming service for football fans seeking authentic, unpredictable entertainment beyond mainstream leagues.

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

“ALL THE DRAMA, NONE OF THE SCRIPT”

Every match is a new episode: Unpredictable moments, emotions, and surprises happen naturally
Every week brings fresh storylines: Rivalries, breakthrough performances, underdog victories
Players are the main characters: Each bringing unique personality and drama to the season
100% authentic entertainment: Unlike fiction, this drama is real and live

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.

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.

360° Social Media strategy

We balanced organic storytelling with targeted paid amplification:

Platform-specific strategies tailored to unique audience behaviors and consumption patterns
Organic community building through authentic engagement and fan-first content creation
Precision paid media targeting football enthusiasts beyond traditional league boundaries
Content diversification from match highlights to behind-the-scenes drama and player personalities
Real-time activation capturing key moments and cultural conversations as they happen

Key takeaways

Concept-driven creativity cuts through noise: The “unscripted drama” positioning transformed how audiences perceived Ligue 1, moving from “alternative league” to “premium entertainment experience.”
Phased launches build sustainable momentum: Strategic phase planning allowed for optimization and course correction, creating sustained growth rather than one-time spikes.
Cross-Team integration amplifies results: Combining Paid Media, Social, TikTok, and Studio expertise created synergistic effects that individual efforts couldn’t achieve.
Early success validates strategy for expansion: Strong initial performance (60% of target in first month) 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.