Amazon Prime Sued by French LGBT Rights Groups for Broadcasting Homophobic Chants during PSG Football Match Replay

Amazon Prime accused of failing to uphold promise not to air homophobic chants on replays; Besides individual supporters, four PSG players participated in hate speech during the heated match.

• During a September 24 match between PSG and Marseille, thousands of PSG supporters and four players, including Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembélé, chanted homophobic slurs. The players received suspended one-match bans as a result.
• LGBT rights groups, including LGBT Families, Mousse, and Stop Homophobie, have launched a legal action against Amazon Prime for broadcasting the match replay that included the homophobic chanting.
• The groups' complaint indicates that while live broadcast of offensive content is not the broadcaster's responsibility, they are liable for replays. The replay included multiple homophobic chants from the stands.
• In response to the lawsuit, Amazon removed the match from Prime Video and asserted that it does not support the conduct of certain fans. An Amazon spokesperson voiced the company's strong condemnation of discrimination, including homophobia.
• The incident sparked further discussions about homophobia in French sport. A recent poll by the Federation Sportive LGBT+ association revealed that 46% of respondents witnessed homophobic or transphobic behavior in sports.
• PSG was ordered to close the Auteuil stand for one match as a consequence of the incident, and Rouge Direct, an organization against homophobia in sports, backed the complaint against Amazon.

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