November 19, 2023 at 8:40 p.m. by Thomas
Not all Ligue 1 clubs fill their stadiums on match nights.
Already last season and again this current one, Ligue 1 is experiencing a remarkable increase in crowds in the stadiums. Recently, the Professional Football League gave the first trends for the third of the 2024-2025 financial year, they are particularly good with almost half of the clubs operating at a 90% or more occupancy rate. The loss of empty places and for these teams there is reduced, or even zero when the matches are played behind closed doors.
Record attendances in Ligue 1 since last season
A Sports, we have drawn up a ranking of the cost of empty seats for each club, taking as a basis the lowest ticket prices multiplied by the differential between the average attendances taken on the Transfermarkt platform and the stadium capacity reported by the LFP. The subject, we agree, admits of imperfections, in particular on the fact that the prices can change during the season, depending on the poster disputed.
€50,000 on average the shortfall per club based on the cheapest ticket
It nevertheless sheds some light on the potential shortfall in a championship match. The total of the 18 clubs approaches 900,000 euros each day of Ligue 1 for an average of 49,600 euros which would be closer to Clermont Foot, except that the Auvergnat club has its Gabriel-Montpied stadium under renovation, concerning it its capacity is that given in normal configuration. This ranking above all highlights the efficiency of Brest, Lens and Strasbourg as the main ones in filling their boxes and therefore limiting losses at the ticket office.
More than €100,000 to OL and Losc who are struggling to fill their stadiums
Unlike Olympique Lyonnais or Losc, for two of the biggest venues in the championship which are struggling to fill up. Despite tickets costing almost 10 euros, both approach or even exceed the cost of empty seats of 150,000 euros. This is at least twice as much as the following clubs.
What their empty stadium seats cost L1 clubs
Club Stadium capacity Average attendance Ticket cost* Cost of empty seats Lyon 59,186 43,147 €10 €160,390 Lille 50,156 35,349 €10 €148,070 Metz 28,825 €23,858 15 €74,505 Toulouse 32,696 25,468 10 €72,280 €Paris 47,929 46,140 €40 €71,560
