The Enigma Of PSG

In fashion magazine spreads and billboards, it is indeed true that Paris est magique. But why doesn’t the magique of the Paris Saint-Germain brand translate to its football?

- SUFFIAN HAKIM

NO TEAM IN WORLD FOOTBALL has seen such an upturn in its reputation and profile as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Between 2021 and 2022, coinciding with its acquisition of living legend Lionel Messi, PSG has seen its commercial sponsorship revenue increase by over €300 million.

This has led to PSG overtaking the likes of Barcelona and German juggernaut Bayern Munich to land in sixth place in last year's Power Money League, an annual analysis run by Deloitte which measures the financial muscle of football teams around the world.

This is in no small part due to the work that PSG has done in connecting with some of the world's biggest brands. Its partnership with Dior in January saw a mesmerising advertising campaign, where the players were dressed in sleek, refined black, elevated by the iconic Dior Oblique and CD Diamond motifs, as well as artistic director Kim Jones' distinctive style and vision.

Let's not forget the magnitude of its partnership with Nike. The sports brand is not just PSG's kit supplier and sponsor, with its iconic swoosh emblazoned on the right chest of the PSG jersey, but a veritable commercial partner. Nike pumps more than €80 million into PSG's coffers as part of this deal, but it doesn't end there. PSG also has a €67 million-a-year partnership with Nike subsidiary Air Jordan, which has led to some confusion. Or perhaps, the better word here is "awe", that a football team was able to secure a multimillion-dollar sponsorship deal with a basketball brand.

We're even waxing lyrical about their partnership with Purnell (pg. 60) in this very issue.

Clearly, the PSG brand is thriving. A combination of its status as the torchbearers of the world's most fashionable city in the world's most fashionable game, the business guile of its Qatari owners and having some of the most famous names in world football on its roster very clearly aided its marketability.