How Michael Jordan Helped Paris Saint-Germain Became A $4.5 Billion Club
Today's newsletter details the playbook PSG used to become one of the world's most valuable football clubs (despite never winning Europe's most important tournament).
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is one of the most valuable brands in the world, despite never winning the most prestigious club football competition in Europe.
With stores in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, London, Tokyo, and Seoul, the Parisian football club has built a billion-dollar merchandise business. Celebrities like Beyoncé, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady, and Giannis Antetokounmpo attend their games, and kids all over the world are running around the playground wearing PSG shirts.
While the world’s biggest football clubs talk about global expansion, PSG has already done that. They may not have the trophies to match Barcelona or Real Madrid, but that’s the point. PSG has seen its valuation increase from $634 million in 2015 to $4.5 billion today, with a chance to lift the elusive Champions League trophy this weekend.
PSG’s record valuation growth wasn’t by accident. Since taking over the club in 2011, PSG’s ownership group has carefully crafted the brand’s image. They understood that non-football fans were just as important as football fans, and they developed a playbook that every other club is now trying to copy. Regardless of what happens on the pitch, PSG’s business model has ensured that the club’s financial coffers stay filled.