Professional football clubs will share, over the next three seasons, an amount of TV rights that represents roughly half of what they expected to receive (1.153 billion euros) in 2018 at the time of the choice of Mediapro. What consequences for the elite of French football? If they will be limited for the heavyweights of Ligue 1, they may be dramatic for “small” clubs.
“The actors at the bottom of the table, let’s say between the 13e and the 18e place of the championship, have become teledependent, explains Jean-Pascal Gayant, sports economist. On average, TV rights generate more than 70% of their resources. “ According to his calculations, the annual budget of these clubs swelled by 10 million euros following the arrival of Mediapro, reaching 45 million euros on average. The amount of TV rights having returned to its previous level, they must therefore achieve savings of 10 million euros.
“Sell at a good price”
A complicated equation because their payroll represents between 60% and 70% of their expenses. “The only way for these clubs to balance their accounts is to sell players at a good price”, adds Mr. Gayant. But, in the current context, and even if the public begins to return to the stadiums, the task promises to be difficult, if not impossible. “If the market remains buoyant for football stars, this is no longer the case for second-tier players. Modest clubs will have to downsize and review their economic model, which depends too much on television ”, confirms Jérémie Bastien, lecturer in economics at the University of Reims. Most elite clubs are under threat, with the exception of heavyweights like PSG, Marseille, Lille, Lyon and Monaco.
Is French football in danger? This is the opinion of Jean-Marc Mickeler, the boss of the national management control department (DNCG), the financial policeman of French football. Auditioned, Thursday, June 10, at the National Assembly, he sounded the alarm: “Without restructuring, without massive contribution from existing shareholders, it is unlikely that the majority of clubs will be able to survive the 2021-2022 season”, he blurted out in front of the deputies of the information mission on the financing of sport and sports audiovisual rights.
The championship resumes on August 9, and the clubs are supposed to send Monday June 14 to the DNCG their estimated budget for the next season. Since Friday, their managers know what they can indicate on the line “TV rights”. They have one weekend left to make ends meet.