Better structured, the economy of French sport could reach 100 billion euros in turnover in 2030, according to BPI France

Nearly 130,000 companies constitute the sports sector in France for a total of 450,000 employees, more than in aeronautics and telecoms.

One hundred billion euros. This is the turnover that the French sport sector could reach in 2030 if its “enormous potential” is better structured and federated, estimates the public investment bank Bpifrance. The latter is organizing, Thursday, June 19 in Paris, a day presented as “The biggest gathering of the sport business”.

The French sport ecosystem has a “Huge potential, it’s just that he has never been structured as a market, while it is a real economy in itself”Summarizes AFP Julien Noronha, executive director of the Bpifrance public bank, in charge of communication. Nearly 130,000 companies constitute the sector, the vast majority of micro-enterprises and self-employed entrepreneurs, for a total of 450,000 employees, “Be more than aeronautics and telecoms”according to A study published in 2024 by Bpifrance, HEC and the Cabinet EY.

In 2023, this economy had generated some 75 billion euros in turnover, half of which made thanks to the manufacture and distribution of equipment and sports items. This French sports market could even reach “The 100 billion euros in turnover within five years” If he improves his competitiveness and manages to attract more investors, estimates Bpifrance, who is a partner of around thirty sports clubs, including Paris FC or the Stade Français.

“We are trying to support the creation of a real business sport sector, to help its structuring”which can, for example, translate concretely by “The creation of teams that will go together to respond to calls for tenders for major world competitions, and no longer hunt them individually, for example for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 or the Football World Cup in Morocco“In 2030, highlighted Julien Noronha.

Because the observation is that “If sport and major world competitions allow you to aggregate full of markets”like equipment manufacturers, events, sponsors, media, “They didn’t talk much about each other, the sectors operated in vertical, there were bridges but not enough“, he regrets. For the executive director of BPI France, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have allowed “Create a positive energy, at the business level and at the mental level”, MAis “What is still missing is investment in sport, and how we create real champions in the sport economy”.

In early April, the public bank had brought together a hundred market players – including club managers, entrepreneurs, as well as representatives of institutions – to debate the structuring of French sport business. “We must continue this joint work (…) from the perspective of the Olympic Games in the Alps in 2030. We do not work enough together with our own event organizers. But it’s long time, because it takes confidence between the actors”had notably underlined Sébastien Moreau, assistant to the interministerial delegate for major sporting events.