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Summary
Since 2020, the French soccer market has been facing significant challenges and transformations. The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted revenues, with Ligue 1's TV rights value plummeting from a peak of €1.153 billion to just €250 million annually from Amazon for 80% of the rights, and Canal+ paying €332 million for the remaining 20%. Despite this, PSG's dominance in the market continued both in terms of turnover, valued at €1.838 billion, and sponsorship revenues of €154.2 million. Sorare, a fantasy soccer startup, marked a significant trend in the digitalization of soccer, garnering over €325 million in revenues in 2021, a 3900% increase from 2020, and forming over 250 partnerships with soccer clubs globally. The women's soccer trend also grew, with 56% of French people watching women's soccer matches. Ligue 1 clubs showed a commitment to CSR, donating a total of €2 million and in-kind donations valued over €1 million during the 2020/2021 season.
The Dynamic Landscape of Soccer Enthusiasm and Market Trends in France
The French soccer market has garnered attention with key statistics painting a vibrant picture: roughly 3% of the French population, which translates to between 1 and 2 million people, are part of a soccer club. The growth of women's soccer has been a distinct trend with female licensees experiencing a greater than 100% increase over a decade, indicating a surge of interest that extends to national teams and the demand for improved spectator experiences. Moreover, the process of player transfers has proven to be pivotal, with Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) influence dominating the scene. PSG, despite delving into free transfers for high-profile players, has a negative balance of around €70 million due to robust transfer activities. Sponsorship and advertising are equally critical pillars in the market's structure. For instance, PSG alone garners over €150 million in sponsorship revenues, highlighting the disparity within Ligue 1.
TV rights, another crucial revenue source, reached historical highs, witnessing a peak value of over €1 billion, although this figure experienced a downturn during the pandemic. The sale of merchandise continues to rise, aided by the national team's success and the colossal fan bases of various clubs, with PSG leading and contributing a significant portion of merchandising turnover at over €50 million. Notably, ticket sales for Ligue 1 contests constitute an essential segment of the market, with PSG and Olympique Lyonnais accounting for almost half of these revenues. The Covid-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges, with a general drop in ticket sales revenues of approximately 15%.
Profiles of Prominent Players in the French Soccer Market Landscape
The French soccer market is a vibrant and dynamic sector, marked by the presence of several major players that contribute to its allure and financial viability. Below, we explore the key actors, highlighting the roles and contributions of each within the broader context of French and European football.
- Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) stands tall as a colossus in the French football world, with substantial investment from Qatar Sport Investments transforming the club into a global powerhouse. Synonymous with high-profile signings and star-studded squads, PSG not only leads the domestic league in financial clout but also regularly competes on European fronts, attracting fans worldwide.
- Olympique Lyonnais (OL) , often referred to as OL, is another traditional titan of French soccer, consistently competing at the top end of Ligue 1. Owned by Jean-Michel Aulas, the club has a reputation for fostering young talent and contributing significantly to the French national team.
- Olympique de Marseille (OM) , cherished for its passionate fan base and storied past, is yet another significant player in French soccer. American businessman Frank McCourt's acquisition of the club has signaled a new era aimed at restoring OM to its former glories and creating a competitive and sustainable entity.
- AS Monaco, despite a smaller domestic fan base, leverages its unique position within the French league for dynamic financial operations. Owned by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, the club has made headlines with shrewd transfer market maneuvers, maintaining a competitive edge both domestically and in European competitions.
- Decathlon - While not a soccer club, Decathlon deserves mention as a key distributor in the soccer market, known for making sports gear accessible to enthusiasts and professionals alike. As a one-stop shop for soccer equipment, the brand plays an essential role in the French soccer ecosystem by catering to the needs of players and supporters.
- Nike stands at the summit of soccer equipment brands, having struck lucrative sponsorship and merchandise deals with top clubs like PSG. Known for innovative designs and cutting-edge technology in sportswear, Nike's partnership with PSG, including the club's iconic Jordan Brand collaboration, has delivered financial success while also expanding the club's global reach.
- Adidas, another prime contender in the soccer apparel industry, outfits several major clubs and provides a broad range of soccer products.
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- Last update : 06/07/2023
Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and presentation
The soccer club market mainly covers the players of the Professional Football League (LFP), which brings together the French and Monegasque clubs with professional status, i.e., the 20 clubs of League 1, and the 20 clubs of League 2.
The economic sector "professional soccer" generates several billion euros in France each year with double-digit annual growth since 2016, after experiencing many years of deficit. But PSG carries two-thirds of the growth of its peers. In 2016, nearly 3% of the French population is part of a soccer club and France is one of the leading soccer countries in Europe, with more than 15,000 soccer clubs, and more than 2 million licensees including 5% women (a number that is constantly increasing).
Transfers, during the summer and winter periods, contribute to the growth of soccer in France with increasingly large amounts of money, whether it be at the national or international level.(Neymar, bought for 220 million euros by PSG) or for sale (Pepe, sold for over 80 million euros by Lille in 2019). For example, in 2016, transfers during the summer period amounted to more than 4.2 billion euros, driven by the British Premier League's spending of 1.4 billion euros. The French Ligue 1 generated a profit of 425 million euros in transfers. Also, sponsoring and TV rights, which are increasingly important, contribute to the growth of the market in France.
The market for soccer clubs is dominated by PSG, Olympique Lyonnais and Monaco, as well as a handful of other clubs, which leaves little room for the remaining players. The staggering growth of PSG and OL may hide the financial difficulties of the other clubs, making it rather difficult to estimate the growth of the other players in the market in the coming years.
The soccer club market is facing increasing regulatory constraints (proposed tax on high incomes), as well as the financialization of the soccer economy, marked by the arrival of foreign investment funds.
List of charts
- The most common initiatives that fans want clubs to implement
- Interest in League 1
- Interest in League 2
- The perceived competitive balance for League 1 and League 2
- Soccer clubs with the highest turnover
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Latest news
PSG abandons bid to buy the Stade de France - 04/01/2024
- PSG is valued at 4 billion euros.
- The current concession for the Stade de France expires in 2025.
- Four bids are currently in the running to take over the concession or buy the Stade de France.
- Among the candidates are the Vinci-Bouygues duo, GL Events and Paris Entertainment Company, and the "Le Stade de France notre bien commun" consortium comprising ASM Global, NGE and Dubrac TP.
US fund Arctos Partners takes a minority stake in PSG - 11/12/2023
- Soccer club Paris Saint-Germain is no longer 100% owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI).
- Arctos Partners is to take a minority stake in PSG, which could rise to 12.5%
- The total value of the club is 4.25 billion euros.
- Arctos Partners was founded in 2019, with headquarters in Dallas (Texas) and offices in New York.
- Arctos Partners owns stakes in more than 20 professional sports organizations worldwide.
Soccer: OL Groupe sinks into the red - 26/10/2023
- Revenue up 15% for OL Groupe
- Net loss of 99 million euros for OL Groupe in fiscal 2022-2023
- Previous year's loss of 55 million euros
Soccer: RC Lens well on the way to acquiring the Bollaert stadium - 17/10/2023
- The Stade Bollaert is a 38,500-seat infrastructure
- The soccer club, RC Lens, is considering acquiring it
- The city of Lens has owned the stadium since 1974
- The club has been responsible for managing and maintaining the stadium for over twenty years, in exchange for an annual fee of 560,000 euros, which is likely to double in the near future
- The stadium was renovated in 2016, at a cost of 70 million euros, largely financed by the regional council
John Textor ready to sell Olympique Lyonnais assets - 28/09/2023
- Olympique Lyonnais was acquired last year by American businessman John Textor for almost 900 million euros.
- John Textor is also the owner of the Eagle Football holding company, which wholly or partly owns Crystal Palace in England, Rio De Janeiro in Brazil and Molenbeek in Belgium.
- A 16,000-seat multi-purpose hall, the LDLC Arena, is up for sale.
- The group is also looking to sell OL Reign, the women's team in the American championship
- In May, the group sold control of the women's OL to American businesswoman Michele Kang.
Racing Club de Lens opens up its capital - 23/09/2023
- Amount envisaged for fund-raising by club chairman: 50 million euros
- Amount of capital opening formalized by Racing Club de Lens to Side Invest: 20 million euros
- Valuation of the club after the operation: 155 million euros
- Club sales for the current season, excluding player transfers: 83 million euros
- Number of club employees: 200
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