How has Neymar Jr. impacted French soccer statistics?
Interview | Yoann Godin
Neymar Jr.’s natural ability to capture the attention of even rival fans—a trait he has displayed since his days at Santos—has become increasingly evident in the soccer world. However, the positive impact he has extends globally, both on and off the field.
The most recent data comes from the French Professional Soccer League itself, as detailed in an interview with neymarjr.com. Neymar Jr.’s arrival at Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 raised the bar for the national league, expanded broadcasting rights contracts worldwide, and sparked a veritable explosion of new followers for Ligue 1 on social media.
“In fact, Ligue 1 experienced strong growth on social media in the summer of 2017. August 2017 was the best month for Ligue 1’s digital growth through January 2019 (since then, growth has accelerated). Brazil is now the second-largest international community of Ligue 1 fans, after China,” explains Yoann Godin, director of international development for the French Professional Soccer League.
Yoann Godin, director of international development at the LFP
Broadcasting Rights
As expected, the benefits of having a player of Neymar Jr.’s caliber extend beyond the club he plays for. Other teams in the league have also reaped the rewards in terms of marketing and visibility and have been able to increase their revenue.
“The biggest impact on revenue came from our national broadcast agreement and the growth of our national and international viewership. All clubs also enjoyed sold-out stadiums when they played against Neymar’s PSG. We also believe that Neymar’s arrival was beneficial for the image of Ligue 1 in general and helped us increase revenue in a more indirect way,” adds the director.
Last season (2020/21), Ligue 1 was broadcast by 55 networks in 219 territories. Godin says that new broadcast agreements are being finalized and that number is expected to increase for the current season (2021/22). “The largest audience outside of France comes from China and Sub-Saharan Africa. 180 million unique viewers watched Ligue 1 in China last season,” he explains.
New markets
In recent years, consulting firms have also highlighted PSG’s commercial growth linked to the signing of Neymar Jr. Fan interest in the player outside of France is consistent with the impact noted by the French League’s leadership. “When he joined PSG, our international audience grew dramatically in some markets, such as China.”
Godin adds: “Since Neymar Jr. is one of the greatest Brazilian talents in the country’s history, his impact was obviously different. Mainly because he is a global icon and his popularity extends far beyond Brazil. This is also because Neymar Jr. has embraced modern communication channels, particularly social media, which obviously wasn’t possible for big stars like Ronaldinho or Raí.”
Looking ahead to the coming years, Godin believes that even with the Premier League (England) and La Liga (Spain) still dominating the spotlight, Ligue 1 is growing stronger on the global soccer stage, bringing together talented players in a country that has won the World Cup twice and under the historic “France” brand.
