Fast-paced pre-match, seasoned commentators: we followed the first evening of Ligue 1 +

"We're going to rekindle the flame of Ligue 1!" Returning to the role of master of ceremonies after a year's hiatus from football, Thibault le Rol, who previously worked at Mediapro and Amazon Prime Video, set the tone for the launch of the new Ligue 1+ channel.

It was at 7:15 p.m., an hour and a half before the kickoff of the Rennes-OM match, that the first "Kick Off" program began. In a studio, with a noisy audience, Le Rol introduced his consultants, the regular Adil Rami, the novice and newly retired Paul-Georges Ntep and the journalists, Swann Borsellino and Giovanni Castaldi. "Look, there's everything here, Marseillais, anti-Marseillais," Rami's opening joke, as unfiltered as ever, about the journalist, caught in a scandalous wave of cyberbullying on social networks for the past few days, because of alleged comments against OM.

Everyone is in suits and ties. A dress code that contrasts with DAZN's deceptively casual outfits. No informality here. After several teasers, Le Rol promises an inside look, immersion, and something new. It's a bet. While the images of people getting off the buses have become commonplace, those in the locker room and for the referee's briefing are much rarer.

We see Jérémy Pignard warning Leo Balerdi (OM) and Valentin Rongier (Rennes). "I will not accept having several players on me," he warns. The new consultant Souleymane Diawar has. The former OM defender is having difficulty with his microphone and reading the lineups on the match sheets.

This pre-match show is fast-paced, dynamic, and both informative and occasionally funny, thanks to an already-in-form Rami who cheerfully teases Diawara. It's the turn of Amaury Delerue, manager and instructor of Ligue 1 referees, to deliver a livestreamed didactic presentation. From their locker room, we then watch the OM players warm up, all of whom high-five Mehdi Benatia, the director of football, before leaving.

"We want to open as much as possible; it's important for the fans and everyone else," warns Arnaud Pouille from the sidelines. Rennes' executive chairman is happy to act as his colleagues' spokesperson. The success of Ligue 1+ is crucial to the economic future of French clubs. Pouille even offers a frame with a Rennes jersey bearing the number 1 to Jérôme Cazadieu, editorial director of Ligue 1+.

After a segment on Habib Beye and an interview with Benatia, we quickly got to the heart of the matter. The commentary duo, Xavier Domergue, a defector from M6 6, and Benoît Cheyrou, already well-versed in the exercise through his stints at Mediapro, Amazon Prime Video, and DAZN, were teaming up for the first time. But they quickly found their feet and the right tone.

The dismissal of Rennes' Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal (30th) was perfectly deciphered. At halftime, the debriefing was rather standard. During the match, Diawara, who didn't seem very comfortable at the start, began to find his place. He didn't hesitate to intervene and ask tactical questions of Cheyrou, in particular. "You who are up there, don't you think this Marseille defense is too high?" he asked after Ludovic Blas' winning goal (90th).