ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we focus on the French Ligue 1 (L1). Managed by the LFP
(Ligue de Football Professionnel), it is an interesting marketing case. Since
the end of the 1990s, the L1 has considerably increased the value of its TV
rights through two successful deals. The last one, signed in 2008, gives the
clubs the opportunity to share V668 million (Repition, 2008). At the same
time, the financial situation is healthy: clubs make a profit and thanks to the
DNCG (Direction Nationale du Controˆle de Gestion, French football’s
regulatory authority), their budgets are strictly controlled. In spite of all these
positive aspects, clubs are now deadlocked because stadia are too old. This
implies a lack of revenues generated through ticketing, catering and
merchandised products as French spectators do not spend enough on match
day. This is a ‘‘heritage’’ of the 1998World Cup, when most of the budget was
dedicated to the constructionof the StadedeFrance inParis.Noother arenawas
built at this time. Following the German example of the 2006 World Cup,
French clubs are looking to catch up by constructing or renovating 18 different
stadia. In order to illustrate this project,wewill focus on twoparticular projects:
Lyon and Le Mans. The interest of these cases lies in the many differences
between these projects: their size, the type of governance and property, and the
financing of the investment or the use of naming rights practice.
