Of the top five domestic football leagues in Europe, none has as many local and regional authority sponsors as France’s Ligue 1. In total 38 public administration bodies - encompassing anything from broader regional authorities to municipal authorities in towns and cities - sponsor Ligue 1 teams (an average of three per team), representing 9% of all sponsors in the league. 

Local and regional authorities have economic incentives to partner with football clubs. Not only does the partnership create effective opportunities for local and regional governments to promote tourism to a wider national and international audience, it also gives them a focal point for spend in their respective regions. 

Yet this level of support remains unique to France. For comparison, there are no sponsors coming from the public administration sector in the Bundesliga, four in Serie A, 11 in La Liga, and just two in the Premier League. The success of Ligue 1 in attracting such a large number of partners in this category suggests there is an underutilised sponsorship opportunity within other top European football leagues where both local and regional governments and sports teams could find value. 

So why are French football teams so attractive to government bodies?

As is the case with many countries in Europe, football is the sport that has the broadest appeal in France - Ampere’s Sport Consumer data reveals that 59% of sports fans in France consider it their favourite sport. But one characteristic of football teams in France is that all professional football clubs are attached to one specific city, with Paris Saint-Germain and Paris FC the exception where two pro clubs represent the same city. This is not the case in the other top European leagues where many cities have multiple professional clubs that compete in the same league. This means government authorities in France are able to focus their activations, and financial resource, into a single club, rather than having to divide it among multiple ones, thereby making the sponsorships more appealing.

Additionally, all clubs in France carry the name of the city in which they are based. For authorities in small- and medium-sized towns, having a football club in Ligue 1, or in any UEFA club competition, provides the territories with added visibility and attractiveness, for business as well as tourism. 

Data from Ampere’s Sponsorship Consumer research found that 41% of French football fans (vs. 38% of average sports fans) intend to buy a flight, holiday package, train ticket or book a hotel within the next 12 months, highlighting why such partnerships are attractive from a tourism perspective. Furthermore, the data indicates that those looking to travel are more likely to follow football than average sports fans in Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, something the other top European leagues could capitalise on. By partnering with local government, they can not only increase sponsorship revenue, but promote tourism to their city and help generate income for the local community too.