A new and unprecedented situation. Never has world sport experienced an earthquake the size of that caused by the Coronavirus epidemic. Since the announcement Thursday of the positive test to Covid-19 of the French basketball player Rudy Gobert, the sports planet has climbed in temperature. And cough, forced to take emergency measures so as not to give in to the fatal symptoms of the disease. The NBA, a true emblem of American professional sport, opened the sad ball of official press releases, announcing the cancellations and postponements. Today, there are more than 500 competitions and sporting events directly impacted internationally.
In France, even before Emmanuel Macron's speech yesterday, the vast majority of organizers and federations had drawn, restricting their tests to more or less long term. Football, rugby, swimming, handball, horse riding, athletics, judo ... "It is the French federation of" loose "", comment the fans. They who thought a few days ago to be deprived of stadiums because of the closed doors are now confined to their homes in front of empty screens of live matches.
Competitions interrupted for a month represent a loss of € 550 million among sports betting operators
In France, the weight of sport in the economy (1) is measured through 448,000 jobs, 112,000 companies (2% of the market sector) and 360,000 sports associations (24% of the total number of associations) . The turnover generated by the sports sector amounts to 77.7 billion euros. Faced with an unprecedented situation, the sector worries. "In reality, it is small and medium-sized enterprises that are most at risk," said Vincent Chaudel, founder of the Observatoire du sport business. However, most of the jobs are in very small businesses and SMEs. Professional sports clubs may also be exposed to cash flow problems, but their backs are tight. Everyone wants to believe in an improvement in the sanitary conditions linked to the coronavirus from mid-April. Until then, all actors will have to be united. "
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According to Sport Index, activity completely interrupted for one month during competitions represents a loss of around € 550 million in online uploads for sports betting operators, for a shortfall of € 100 million in all market players . "The shift in the Euro from June 2020 to June 2021 is a real issue," explains our economic expert in sport. It is the solution that can unclog the national calendar and provide a financial solution. For Ligue 1 matches, you have to be aware that the problem of ticketing revenue is added to that of TV rights… ”
“It will be difficult to ask TVs to pay 100% of the bill. Ligue 1 TV rights could be cut by 25% ”
Vincent ChaudelOr when the coronavirus invites itself into the operating accounts of PSG and OM: "If the football Euro is not shifted, resumes Vincent Chaudel, the championship cannot be closed, for lack of dates. This would constitute prejudice for broadcasters. It would then be difficult to ask TVs to pay 100% of the bill. TV rights to the championship could be cut by 25%. In France, the annual amount is around € 726 million for Ligue 1. In rugby, the end of the Top 14 season would represent a shortfall of more than € 6 million for clubs with already very tight budgets.
If there is one subject that makes everyone shudder, it is that of the French Tennis Open, scheduled for Roland-Garros from May 20 to June 7. World tennis has been "paused" by ATP and WTA until April 27. “It's a big problem, notes Chaudel, because there is no possible carryover in the calendar. This tournament is the lung of French tennis. François Vilotte, director general of the French Federation, said yesterday that he was thinking "neither on the assumption of a cancellation nor on the assumption of a postponement of the tournament". "I see only one universe in the sports sector which is not currently affected," concludes Vincent Chaudel, ironically, that of e-sport. The coronavirus is almost a marketing argument for its development… ”
(1) BPCE L'Observatoire study, “Sports economics”, 2019.
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