The sports press market - France (2024)

1.2 The global press market

The World Association of News Publishers is a non-governmental organization that defends the interests of the press worldwide. Each year, this institution produces a report on trends in the sector. In the ****/**** edition, it reports on key figures and trends in the global newspaper market, with an estimate for ****:

*** million users per day paid for access to print and digital press in **** ; The global press market will be worth **.* billion euros in **** . This market size is down *% on ****; Revenues attributable to the print media (***) are estimated at US$**.* billion, after an expected decline of *% compared to ****; Online press revenues are estimated at US$*.* billion, up *% on ****; Print media advertising revenues in **** will total $**.* billion, down *% on ****; Online press advertising revenues will reach $**.* billion, up *%; *** million readers per day read paid-for print media in ****; There were **.* million users of daily digital press subscriptions in ****.

The market figures confirm the major underlying trend that has been shaking up the sector for ** years now: the world's press is changing from paper to digital format.

Circulation (***) World, ****-****, in billions USD Source: ****

The graph below compares the evolution of the average number of titles distributed per day worldwide, according to format (***).

Average daily press ...

1.3 The French sports press and sports news market

The sports press market in France

Each year, the Alliance pour les Chiffres de la Presse et des Médias (***). This report provides an overview of the different press segments in France. To take a closer look at the sports press segment, we'll concentrate on the "Sports and sports news press" segment

Thus, in ****, with **.*** million copies of the sports press in total paid circulation in France (***), the sports and sports news press represented *.**% of the paid circulation of the general press in France. The market is therefore a niche of the press market. It's important to put the subject of this study in perspective with the host of magazine titles, national and regional news papers and trade press titles.

evolution of paid circulation for the sports and sports news press France, ****-****, in millions of copies sold Source: ****

Paid circulation figures are up **.*% for ****. The table below gives details of circulation in ****.

Source: ****

1.4 Declining advertising revenues for the French press

Find out more about this section in the Businesscoot study focusing on the magazine press in France - available immediately here -

Advertising revenues for the press as a whole (***) fell by **.*% in ****, to just *.*** billion euros and **,*** advertisers.

press advertising revenues France, Q***** - Q* ****, in millions of euros Source: ****

1.5 The transition to online sports press consumption is underway

According to theACPM, in ****, the French press will record more than *** million online visits per day.

The digital consumer press

The structural trend has been confirmed in recent years: taking into account the Covid period, the share of online press consumption will rise sharply from ****, an increase already begun in ****.

Visits to consumer press websites (***) France, ****-****, in billions of visits Source: ****

As the ACPM shows, the number of consumer press websites is also on the rise. This trend can be observed in all press segments in general.

The explosion of sports press distribution in digital format

The various ACPM observatories present the evolution of paid circulation in France for digital versions of the sports press and sports news.

evolution of paid circulation of digital versions of the sports press and sports news France, ****-****, in millions of copies distributed Source: ****

The growth of sports press consumption in digital format is meteoric. in this respect, it follows the overall dynamics of a market in the throes of change. By ****, paid circulation in digital format will reach * million copies, with **% growth since ****.

The digital share of sports press distribution reached **% in ****, compared with **.**% in ****, and this growth is set to continue in ...

1.6 Pandemic: global sport at a standstill has taken its toll on sports press publishers

The covid-** crisis saw the stoppage and cancellation of sports competitions eagerly awaited by the public. The sports sector has suffered greatly from the crisis, and so has the sports press. A francetvinfo.fr article published on May **, **** reports on the measures taken by the sector to cope with the news vacuum generated by the crisis.

The article distinguishes two types of reaction by publishers: adaptation or abdication. In reality, most titles have tried to adapt as best they can. Staff numbers have been reduced, but the sports pages remain in the newspapers. Publishers even positioned themselves in opposition to the crisis, and the bias was to talk about it as little as possible, on the assumption that the public had already heard far too much about it. Editorial lines were reduced to analysis and more historical reports to compensate for the absence of news[***].

In November ****, the ACPM website reported on the evolution of paid circulation in France for the newspaper L'Équipe, during the period of confinement.

evolution of paid circulation for L'Équipe newspaper during the first containment period France, September **** - July ****, in thousands of copies sold Source: ****

History of L'Équipe.fr traffic during the first ...

2.1 Traditional press consumption in France

The French and the press

Each year, the ACPM publishes its survey program: La Preuve édition ****. The study reports various data on the sector, such as trends in the number of French people who claim to read the press each month.

growth in the number of readers France, ****-****, in millions of readers Source: ****

The number of press readers in France remains very stable. The number of readers is rising slightly, but only in line with the increase in the French population.

Over **% of French people read the press every month (***). Digital press consumption is very high, with **.*% of the French population claiming to read at least one digital article per month.

The French and the paper format

Many readers show a strong attachment to the object: newspaper, magazine. For many, paper is still a must-have, and while its use is declining, it does not seem destined to disappear. in this respect, the ACPM study reports on a survey carried out with Dentsu at the end of ****.

The French and the printed press France, ****, in Source: ****

There is still a real attachment to the paper format, and the French bear witness to the fact that the move to digital will not ...

2.2 Digital press consumption: more than a trend, a transformation

Reading the digital press is a new consumer habit that is no longer in doubt. Digital formats are gradually taking on a more important role in people's lifestyles, and the press must see this as an opportunity to evolve, since the demand for information is present on these media.

What is your preferred source of information? France, ****, as % of total Source: ****

In ****, the written press is still the preferred source of information for the French. Nevertheless, if we include press websites and applications in the "internet" source of information (***), the latter option overtakes the print press in French people's preferences.

What's more, in the Baromètre de confiance des Français dans les médias **** (***).

ACPM's La Preuve study reports on trends in terms of "mobile" reading, i.e. the combined number of readers on mobile and tablet devices, for the socio-professional categories that have seen the greatest growth.

Growth in mobile reading France, ****-****, in millions of monthly readers Source: ****

The number of women who consume press on tablet and mobile increased by **% between **** and ****, this is the second most dynamic increase for a specific CSP, after that of CSP + / heads of household, which is **% over the same period. [***]

ACPM ...

2.3 Most-read sports publications

In its **** Observatory, the ACPM reveals the rankings of the leading sports press titles in terms of paid circulation.

Highest circulation of sports press titles France, ****, French paid circulation per issue Source: ****

L'Équipe dominates the ranking, far ahead of the other brand of the same group (***), France Football. This group is the leader in the French sports press. French readers' favorite newspapers other than L'Équipe are neck-and-neck in the rankings.

2.4 Sports press readers

To draw up a profile of the sports press reader, it's interesting to look at the details of L'Équipe's audience as reported by the ACPM. As the leading press medium in the sports segment, its customer panel is the most diversified and representative of the sports press target group.

The most recent version of the OneNext S* (***) audience study is reported below.

First of all, it's worth noting that the team's audience is made up almost exclusively of men: **% of readers are men and only **% are women. A distribution that has been very stable for several years, since in **** the report showed a similar breakdown.

age of L'Équipe readers France, ****, in % of readers per average issue Source: ****

L'Équipe readers are relatively well distributed across age groups. However, there is a slight majority of readers aged ** to **. When only men are taken into account, the percentage of this age group rises to **%. However, for women, the distribution is different, with the majority of female readers aged between ** and ** (***). This may be a sign of the growing presence of women in sport. This generational indicator reveals the arrival of a mixed audience that will seek to consume both men's and ...

2.5 Sports trends in France

The French and the practice of sport

The Institut National de la Jeunesse et de l'Éducation Populaire (***) plays a central role in drawing up annual barometers on youth and sport. It regularly publishes sports barometers in partnership with Crédoc, with a specific focus. In its Baromètre national des pratiques sportives ****, INJEP reveals the proportion of French people who practice a sport.

Do you currently practice a sport? France, ****, in Source: ****

The vast majority of French people (***) practise a sport in ****, and **% practise regularly, i.e. at least once a week. This figure rises to **% among **-** year-olds and **% among **-** year-olds. The INJEP adds that in ****, the proportion of French people who didn't play sport regularly was **%, down *%. So the French are becoming increasingly sporty.

A generation of sportswomen: women and sport

Another survey, conducted by Odoxa and published in ****, reveals that since ****, women have been doing more sport than men.

Do you practise a sport yourself? France, ****, in Source: ****

Odoxa compares the "Regularly" sub-total of the **** survey with the results of similar surveys carried out in **** and ****. It emerges that **% of women practise sport regularly (***) in ****, compared with **% in ****. conversely, the proportion of men practising regularly has ...

3.1 Focus on newspaper printing in France

Newspaper printing sales

The sports press represents only a tiny share (***).

newspaper printing sales trend France, ****-****, in millions of euros Source: ****

Since ****, the market has entered a phase of decline, with newspaper printing sales also undermined by the transition to digital. As a result, the upstream end of the sports press value chain is undergoing radical change. Printing is no longer the key to the press, and changes in distribution formats are having an impact on production methods, as shown in the graph above.

Printers in France

The national fund of the ursaf network (***) provides a breakdown of companies registered under NAF code **.**Z throughout France.

Source: ****

Number of companies and employees in the printing sector

Finally, ACOSS reports changes in the number of companies and employees by NAF code.

number of companies and number of employees for NAF code **.**Z France, ****-****, in units Source: ****

The entire sector is therefore in decline. The shift towards digital technology is reflected in the restructuring of the printing industry. The number of companies has been falling for ** years. This decline has eased in ****, but has progressed over the last few years.

3.2 Sports press publishers in difficulty

Overview of the publishing sector in France

In the Insee nomenclature, sports press publishers can be registered under two distinct naf codes, depending on whether they are positioned as newspapers or magazines.

**.**Z: newspaper publishing ; **.**Z: magazine and periodical publishing.

The ACOSS database (***) provides information on changes in the number of companies and employees in these two NAF codes over the last ** years. Companies specializing in the publication of sports publications still represent only a tiny proportion of these companies, but they follow the same dynamics.

number of companies and number of employees in NAF code **.**Z France, ****-****, in units Source: ****

change in number of companies and employees for NAF code **.**Z France, ****-****, in units Source: ****

As these two graphs show, the publishing sector is also undergoing a major transformation. Over the past ** years, the number of companies has been falling steadily, accompanied by the number of employees working in the sector.

Focus on the groups

Amaury Media

Amaury Media is an advertising agency for all Amaury Group media (***) is an independent French family group focused on sport. It is ***% owned by the Amaury family. It generated sales of *** million euros in ****. [***]

La Dépêche

La Dépêche ...

3.3 Specialized distribution, physical and digital subscriptions: sports press distribution

Sports press circulation

The ACPM's **** observatory reports the breakdown of French paid circulation by distribution channel in ****.

Distribution of sports press DFP by distribution channel France, ****, in % of paid circulation Source: ****

Individual sales account for ** % of paid circulation. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that the sports press is dependent on sports news, so customers often consume to the rhythm of the sports news that affects them. Moreover, this percentage of individual sales rises to **% when individual digital sales are taken into account (***).

The report also presents trends by type of distribution. Only individual digital and third-party and deferred distribution sales grew by **% and *% respectively between **** and ****. Conversely, individual sales and individual subscriptions both fell by *% each.

One company for all physical press distribution in France

In June ****, the Commercial Court validated the takeover bid for Prestalis by the daily newspapers cooperative and several magazine groups. Prestalis is now France Messagerie . The (***) cooperative des quotidiens is the cooperative behind the creation of France Messagerie, which is now the French press distribution company. [***]

France Messagerie's mission is to optimize the flows of publishers and merchants by pooling tools and ensuring a high level of responsiveness. France Messagerie operates two sites:

Bobigny ...

4.1 A diverse offering to meet enthusiast demand

The range of sports newspapers and magazines is highly specialized: L'Équipe is the only newspaper to cover all sports news. The other titles focus on a specific sport, making the diverse offering all the more specialized. This means there's something for every reader profile. The market's offering is therefore characterized by its close match with demand.

The table below provides a non-exhaustive list of the variety of products available on the market, broken down by periodicity.

4.2 Variable prices

Source: ****

On the consumer side, prices vary according to the type of distribution (***).

4.3 Competition from 100% online offerings

The market is suffering from competition from players already present online, while it is only just beginning its transition. The advantage is that, unlike news titles, its more passion-based format and publication rhythm should enable it to retain a certain value as a physical object. However, reader demand for digital formats is real, and there's no shortage of specialized digital players in the sports segment.

Eurosport, for example, is the website/application of the eponymous European TV channel. The site specializes in sports news (***), the sports calendar and live match broadcasts, and is ranked ***th in France in terms of traffic as of **/**/****. In the sports news category, it ranks second after L'Équipe.fr, the site of the market-leading newspaper. The Eurosport group enjoys enormous exposure thanks to the channel's high profile. The application is also one of the most downloaded sports applications in France. the Eurosport group generated sales of *** million euros in ****. In the same segment: sports.orange.fr is the sports news site promoted by leading operator Orange. It ranks third on Similarweb in the sports news site category.

L'Équipe's cessation of daily publication since **** highlights the challenges facing the traditional press in the face of ...

5.1 General regulations

Regulation of press distributors

Press distribution is governed by law **-*** of April *, **** (***). This law gives press publishers considerable decision-making power. They alone decide on the creation of sales outlets and determine the quantities delivered, the dates on which unsold copies are recalled and the remuneration of distributors.

Since January *, ****, a new remuneration system, specific to each category of distributor, has been in place. It consists of a base commission (***).

The remuneration supplement is awarded on the basis of four criteria: size of daily newspaper sales, outlet location, size of shelf space, level of sales. [***]

Regulations for magazine and periodical publishers

Press law of July **, ****, defining the legal framework for press activities since the *ᵉ republic ; Law of November **, **** (***).

The decree of January **, **** sets out the compulsory information that must appear on printed documents subject to legal deposit.

Loi **-*** du ** août **** relative au prix du livre, is a law establishing price regulation in France. It was amended by law no. **-*** of May **, **** and June **, ****, to reflect the current economic situation; The **** law prohibits press groups from owning more than **% of the total circulation of regional dailies.

The French Law on the Modernization of the Economy (***). Penalties for exceeding these ...

6.1 Segmentation

Market-leading titles :

L'Équipe(***) France Football(***) Midi Olympique SO Foot Vélo Magazine(***)

Segmentation reminder

• L’Equipe
• France Football (L'Equipe) 1
• Midi-Olympique
• So Foot
• Vélo Magazine (Amaury media)
• Le 10 Sport
• But !
• Eurosport
• Foot Mercato (Adversport regie)
• Sport Orange (Groupe Orange)
• Télégramme Groupe
• Sport Business Groupe (Sport.fr)