Former President of the SAF
The French League in recent months went through several different and complex situations at the same time. In these hours, he is living a new story, unthinkable a short time ago.
In 2020, the broadcasting rights of their matches were achieved by a Spanish production company that had offered more than 50% of what it had been generating in revenue from Ligue 1. For more than 30 years, they were seen on Canal + , and after the sale process they were marketed by Mediapro.
More money for the clubs meant more investment, better players and better financial health. From the hubbub over promises of higher income they turned to worry in no time. The arrival of the pandemic caused complex decisions to be made in the football business. France was one of the few leagues in the world where the championship was quickly suspended and PSG declared champion of the 2020 season. The cancellation of the season, brought with it, the cancellation of the contract with Mediapro and its benefits. In between, late payments and less money to distribute between clubs. TOThey yielded to the State to appease the losses, taking on a debt of more than 200 million euros, and in that way to be able to finance part of the problems of the clubs.
Messi’s 30th.
Ligue 1 is part of the five biggest leagues in Europe. In income it is the fifth that distributes the most among its clubs, but the Premier (the one that generates the most) triples it in resources. Both in your local market and internationally, what you pay for your rights is far from the big leagues. Their matches are not seen as much in the world as those of Premier or La Liga.
As in our country, France is an exporter of players to the world. In recent times, according to data provided by FIFA, French players are, after Brazilians, those with the greatest presence outside their territory. That place was occupied by Argentina for many years. The Premier League is the great buyer of French talent. But, also since the beginning of the pandemic, the pass market has been with very few operations, with which this important source of income is complicated for them.
Leo and his talk with Pochettino during training (Photo: PSG Press)
THE ARRIVAL OF AMAZON TO THE LEAGUE
So the biggest sources of income (television and player sales) hit your economy. To appease part of the losses, the decision was made to reduce the number of teams in the First Division, in order to be able to distribute among less the income from television. In addition, a new process of sale of rights began, which was precisely awarded in the last few days. TOmazon, the American giant of electronic commerce, was left with eight of the ten games that are broadcast in the territory. A new conquest of digital platforms (commonly known as OTT) over the traditional system of televising matches. This new transmission model adopted by French football is becoming “less new” in many parts of the world.
With the new agreement, the illusions of the clubs are renewed. Last July, Jean-Marc Mickeler, president of the National Directorate for Management Control, a commission that exercises economic control of the clubs, said “the worst is yet to come” as a sign of alarm over the situation of some clubs . And adding that “bankruptcies cannot be excluded” in teams where they cannot sell players and have income from audiovisual rights much lower than those estimated for these times. There are already antecedents. Girondis had been relegated at the end of the season for lack of payments, but after the purchase of a Spanish businessman, former owner of Lille, they were able to regain the category.
In this context of football, Qatar invested a few years ago in PSG, where it was the winner of seven of the last ten championships (in the other three it was runner-up). The reality of PSG seems that of a Premier League or La Liga team, in a much poorer competition than those. Messi will be a new inhabitant in Ligue 1. The biggest will show talent in a smaller league. Perhaps this new impulse will allow the competition to grow, achieve greater investments in infrastructure and improve the numbers of all, not only those of 30 of the PSG.
ALL MESSI IN FRANCE
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