• Leo Messi and PSG agreed on Tuesday, the Argentinian will be a Parisian player this season.

  • He is expected to commit for two seasons (plus an optional one) with the capital club and will receive a salary of around 35 million per year including bonus.

  • But if the arrival of the former Barcelona will obviously benefit the finances of PSG, will it be the same for the rest of Ligue 1?

    We talk about it with sports economist Jean-Pascal Gayant.

White smoke on a gray sky background in Paris! According to multiple corroborating sources, PSG and Leo Messi agreed on Tuesday on a two-year contract (plus one optional) for an annual salary of around 35 million euros. What remained of the order of fantasy a few days ago is now a reality: MESSI WILL PLAY IN LEAGUE 1! And Ligue 1 is delighted.

But, while the benefit in terms of economy and image seems indisputable for Paris Saint-Germain, what is in reality for the overall environment of the French championship? We have not stopped hearing about the famous theory of runoff in recent hours that would like that by recruiting Messi, PSG will cause flouze to flow do you want here on all the clubs in Ligue 1, but is it also simple as that? If Joe Biden himself put a high-kick to this economic theory in our capitalist societies, the sports economist Jean-Pascal Gayant is on the verge of doing the same about the arrival of the six-fold balloon. 'Gold in Farmers League.

The players in Ligue 1, Jean-Michel Aulas in the lead, seem to agree that Messi's arrival at PSG will have an economic impact on the entire environment of French football. Do you agree with that?

Yes, this is the famous runoff theory. Personally, I don't believe it for a single moment. If we look at what has been happening since 2011 and the arrival of Qatar at PSG, it is clear that the trickle-down theory does not work. At the time we were told that it would benefit everyone economically, in 2017 rebel with the arrival of Neymar and Mbappé, we heard everywhere that it was going to be great for the revenues of the League and the clubs. But what is the fundamental impact of these two sequences, today, in 2021, ignoring the Covid crisis? The championship has not necessarily gained in attractiveness, the match audiences are rather low and we have domestic TV rights which have been halved (based on the contract initially signed with Mediapro). From there,one can indeed say that the theory of runoff does not work at all.

Especially since the TV rights abroad marketed by beIN Media Group, and which only brings in 75 million euros per year to the League [against 1.5 billion euros to the Premier League and 900 million euros euros in La Liga!] were signed until 2024, the theoretical year of the end of Messi's contract with PSG ...

It is true and one can also wonder if the arrival of Messi in Paris will generate a considerable additional interest in other countries for Ligue 1, whether in Asia or America. I'm not even sure. After that, this is a question on which it is difficult to have categorical answers at the present time. But, contrary to popular belief, I'm not expecting a tidal wave of overseas TV rights either. Because what makes the attractiveness of a football league? There is of course the presence of talents like Neymar, Mbappé and soon Messi, but also the degree of competitiveness of the championship. But there, with the arrival of the Argentine, we can imagine that the imbalance will further widen between PSG and the other clubs.

And then we must not forget one thing: By choosing Amazon for the marketing of 80% of the TV rights of Ligue 1, opted for head-on war with Canal + and beIN.

It is a choice which implies a kind of untenable position for beIN Sport, which is still in legal proceedings against the LFP.

On this basis, I am not convinced that beIN is in an extraordinarily favorable frame of mind for the League in view of what is happening at the moment on the subject of TV rights.

On arrival, in addition to PSG, the big winner in this case is Amazon, which bought the TV rights to Ligue 1 for peanut or almost (250 million euros per season until 2024) and which will to end up with Messi at the head of the gondola.

Ah for them it is clear that it is very beneficial!

Amazon pays little or nothing and is left with incredible opportunities to capture new consumers for its Amazon Prime subscriptions.

Even if they have nothing to do with this transfer, I still want to say "hat off guys!"

(Laughs).

They can rub their hands together.

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