The Japan Times - PSG post record turnover for Champions League-winning campaign

In a statement announcing their annual financial results, Qatar-owned PSG called 2024/25, in which they won the Champions League for the first time, "a historic season on both sporting and economic fronts".

The club, which was bought by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in 2011, said commercial revenue alone reached 367 million euros while matchday income -- including ticket sales and hospitality -- hit 175 million euros.

Total turnover was up slightly from 806 million euros in the previous campaign, when Real Madrid became the first club to generate one billion euros in revenue in a single season.

PSG were third in the Deloitte Football Money League -- a ranking of the financial might of clubs -- for the 2023/24 campaign, behind only Madrid and Manchester City, with the latter's revenue then reaching 837.8 million euros.

"This performance shows the maturity of the project since the arrival of its main shareholder QSI, and confirms the solidity of the club's economic model, now among the most successful in the world," said PSG, who added that turnover in 2011 -- just before the Qatari takeover -- was 99 million euros.

- Growing the brand -

"Since QSI's initial acquisition in 2011, Paris Saint-Germain's valuation, and interest from investors, has experienced exponential growth, reflecting the club's transformation into one of the most valuable and influential sports brands in the world."

The amount spent on player salaries has also dramatically decreased following the departures of superstars Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi in 2023 and 2024 -- PSG said the percentage of turnover spent on wages had gone down from 111 percent to below 65 percent.

However, PSG's potential for further growth appears hampered by the financial context of French football as well as the limited size of their stadium.

The French champions earned vast prize money for winning the Champions League and from their run to the Club World Cup final, but broadcasting income in Ligue 1 has dropped following the collapse of its domestic TV deal.

The club are exploring ways of increasing matchday income, including a possible move away from their historic home at the 48,000-capacity Parc des Princes.

Major continental rivals such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Arsenal all play in larger stadiums. Barcelona will soon return to their Camp Nou home, where capacity will be 105,000 when renovations are completed.

"We are able to compete with Europe's biggest clubs while playing in a smaller stadium. We need to innovate in order to keep growing," said PSG.

They are currently considering leaving their municipally-owned home to move to a larger venue far out in the Paris suburbs, with two sites being studied: one at Massy, to the south, and one to the north-west in Poissy, where the club recently opened a new training ground.

K.Inoue--JT