The multi-million euro transfer of Neymar will have a significant impact on Paris Saint-Germain and the player himself. Experts for sponsorship, licensing and sports marketing analyze the record-breaking amount paid for the release from his contract.
Of course, the Brazilian will more than anything help PSG in terms of their game. Being one of the best footballers in the world, his athletic ability is not being debated. The focus is therefore on other topics: jersey sales, image rights, and merchandise options.
Can PSG compensate for the 222 million euros paid for Neymar through new sales? And what possibilities for cooperation are offered by PSG after the extraordinary investment?
Kelvin Gardner, Managing Director of the “Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association,” said the campaign would be appreciated, and all revenue streams would be appreciated, including revenues from image rights.
If a top club invests so much money, including salary, into a player, you can bet that they have looked at all the sales potential. In the case of Neymar, the image rights would inevitably be licensed to the association. There are many opportunities for the club to earn money with the use of images. These include, for example, promotional formats with the team, sponsor packages or media partnerships.
Sports Marketing: PSG on a level with Real & Barça?
It is also worth mentioning the efforts to establish the PSG brand internationally. Similarly to clubs like FC Bayern, the top club in Paris is trying to sell its merchandise in the Asian region. A peculiarity of many Asian fans: they are not particularly loyal to a club. Affection can change with on-the-field losses or success, or the transfer of a star. This attitude is very different from European fans. On the other hand, PSG could even win fans of FC Barcelona thanks to the commitment of Neymar.
The will to invest this sum is a strong signal for many. For Asian fans, a PSG jersey is probably not on the top of the wish list. With the addition of a “Neymar” PSG jersey, this could change. In the short term, jersey sales would benefit. In the long term, it promotes the value of the club.
According to Misha, PSG can benefit greatly. The Vice President of Sport and Entertainment at MediaCom says: there is now a high level of competition between many clubs that offer a small selection of absolute world-class players.
There are more and more channels through which fans can consume sports content. But all people would have less time. For clubs, it has never been so important to offer a USP with which they could appeal to fans and sponsors. If and when PSG can make it hapen? Not clear. It is clear, however, that the transfer offers a great opportunity for them to catch up with Real Madrid, Manchester United and ironically, FC Barcelona.
Neymar: There’s hardly a player that is more marketable
According to Dr Anna Semens, Head of Analytics at Cake, hardly any other sportsman is as marketable as Neymar. Gilette, Nike and Qatar Airways are just a few of the brands that advertise with Neymar.
His social media footprint is already estimated at 160 million. Interest will increase rather than decrease thanks to the transfer. Both Neymar and PSG benefit from this. The top star now already earns 60 percent of his revenues just through endorsements. At the age of just 25, Neymar becomes the cornerstone of the club – both in terms of the game and other areas.
Misha Sehr (Mediacom) also believes that Neymar’s move into a smaller league makes the deal all the more fascinating. Independent of the transfer, Neymar’s move to Paris Saint-Germain is bigger than other major transfers in the past. There are political, cultural and commercial aspects of this deal, of proportions unseen before. The fact that one of the most important players in the world is ready to go into a comparatively unimportant league is an incredible coup.
