France: loss of €1.27bn for the professional football sector due to Covid-19 (EY / Première Ligue)

The coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) causes, for the 2019-20 season alone, an operating loss of €1.27bn for the French professional football sector (down -16.4% compared to the season prior), "this would bring the sector back to its 2015-16 level", indicates a study "on the economic and social impact of Covid-19 on professional football clubs in Ligue 1," carried out by the French branch of the audit and consulting form EY for the Première Ligue (union of primarily Ligue 1 clubs) and reported by the French daily Les Échos on 23/07/2020 (see below).

Almost half (47.6%) of this operating loss is made up of the direct impact on Ligue 1 clubs, which would amount to €605m (including the "results of transfer operations") thus distributed:
• TV rights: €213m (35.2%)
• Sponsorship and advertising: €65m (10.7%)
• Match revenue: €75m (12.4%)
• Other products (including merchandising): €32m (5.3%)
• Transfers: €220m (36.4%)

The indirect impact includes related activities: sports betting, hotels, restaurants, security, transport... Therefore many sectors impacted by the early definitive end…