Lionel Messi at PSG: "There will be a considerable return on investment"

In front of Paris-Le Bourget airport, PSG fans await the arrival of Lionel Messi on August 10, 2021. REUTERS - YVES HERMAN

Text by: Alexis Bedu Follow

6 mins

By signing Lionel Messi, Paris Saint-Germain achieves both a sporting and economic coup.

Three questions to Pierre Rondeau, sports economist and football economist.

Publicity

Read more

Arrived free of any contract with FC Barcelona, ​​the Argentine player should earn around 40 million euros annually, according to the French press.

RFI

: What can PSG hope for in terms of economic benefits

?

Pierre Rondeau:

The Catalan press estimated the economic impact of Messi's presence alone at Barça at more than 200 million euros each year.

It will cause a considerable improvement in ticketing revenues.

Everyone will want to see the Argentinian play at the Parc des Princes.

Full stadium, these receipts were already estimated at nearly 100 million euros.

PSG could increase the price of seats to reach annual revenues of 120 or 130 million euros.

There will also be an increase in commercial revenue through

merchandising

- we think of jersey sales - and through

sponsorship.

The contract with the Accor group ends in 2022. Messi will still play at PSG at that time and we can imagine that the club will renegotiate this contract.

It could reach cash flow between 75 and 90 million euros.

PSG will be able to take advantage of this player, and even if it will be expensive in salary, there will be a considerable return on investment.

► To read also: Football: Lionel Messi in Paris to sign with PSG

Is this the culmination of the Qataris' economic strategy

?

Yes and no, because Messi is still 34 years old.

It's not a long-term policy like when PSG signed Mbappé.

The Argentine player is coming to the end of his career.

It is questionable whether PSG really needed this visibility as they are already positioned among the best and most well-known clubs in the world, although they did not win the Champions League.

It will also be necessary to observe the future of Kylian Mbappé.

It would be, in my opinion, a very bad image sent by the club if Mbappé was not extended, or even sold this summer.

On the other hand in terms of visibility and soft power, it is an achievement for Qatar.

Messi will finally play for PSG

, something the Qataris have dreamed of since 2011, when they bought the club.

Could the fallout from this recruitment trickle down to other Ligue 1 clubs and broadcasters

?

It is beneficial for broadcasters. We can assume that Canal + which, until now, refused to pay the 332 million euros of lot 3 of TV rights, heard that Messi was on track to sign for PSG. In the end, they put a stop to the legal proceedings and agreed to pay. As a beneficiary - 20% of the matches - Canal + will be able to make great trailers with Messi wearing the PSG jersey. This will increase its strike force and its notoriety tenfold. We can imagine that a lot of people will rush to subscribe to see Ligue 1.

The same goes for

Amazon,

which bought 80% of the TV rights for only 259 million euros per year and which is taking advantage of the windfall.

For so little money, Amazon will broadcast the matches of Mbappé, Neymar and the six-fold Golden Ball Lionel Messi.

For the clubs, it is different insofar as the national and international TV rights have already been negotiated until 2024. The leaders of Ligue 1 would like to be able to renegotiate upwards these international rights which are derisory (80 million euros). euros).

It is above all thanks to Messi's brand image that this will be beneficial for the sponsors and ticket offices of the other clubs that will face PSG.

► 

Pierre Rondeau

is the author of

End of the game for football?

 released in June by Editions de l'Aube. 

► To read also: FC Barcelona explains the reasons for the departure of Lionel Messi

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • France

  • Sports

  • our selection

On the same subject

International guest

Football: "The arrival of Messi confirms the reinforced status of PSG"

FC Barcelona explains the reasons for the departure of Lionel Messi