Ticket prices at the major clubs continue to rise. With the Premier League increasingly out of reach, ticket prices in Spain reaching eye-watering levels, and Inter and Milan continuing to raise theirs, top-flight football is becoming unaffordable for much of the middle class. Paris is no exception: watching PSG has become a luxury. Younger supporters, in particular, are turning to Paris FC, the capital’s other major club. Crowds at the Stade Jean-Bouin have settled at just over 16,000 for the home opener against Nice and close to 17,000 for the matches against Lyon and Strasbourg. The move from the old Charléty ground has improved sightlines and made matchdays more comfortable. Many of those now attending once went to the Parc des Princes, but have since switched to their neighbours, drawn by cheaper tickets and a more relaxed atmosphere.
Political tensions have also played a part. PSG’s decision to allow banners in support of Palestine has alienated some sections of the local Jewish community. Club data, winter surveys and post-match questionnaires point to the same conclusion: Paris FC draws most of its support from the capital and the surrounding region. Ninety-two percent of its 7,800 season-ticket holders live in Île-de-France, compared with between 74 and 80 percent of those buying tickets for individual matches. The inner suburbs account for 40 percent of season-ticket holders, Paris itself for 28 percent and the outer suburbs for 25 percent. Hauts-de-Seine accounts for the largest share, largely because of its proximity to the ground, alongside the western Paris arrondissements of the 15th, 16th and 17th. Some of the club’s older support remains in the 11th and 13th arrondissements, to the east and south. The average spectator lives 24 kilometres from the stadium, compared with a league-wide average of 82 kilometres.
The club has recently appointed a specialist to analyse its audience, although the early figures already suggest a relatively young crowd. Season-ticket holders have an average age of 38, falling to between 34 and 36 among those buying tickets for individual matches. Families are also well represented: 44 percent of those surveyed at the opening home game had brought children, helped by afternoon kick-offs at 3pm or 5pm. Outside Jean-Bouin, the concourse begins to fill well before kick-off. “It’s family-oriented, but also popular in the sense that we attract people who didn’t use to go to stadiums,” says Paris FC general manager Jean-Marc Gallot. “We aren’t targeting a single group right now. Beyond season-ticket holders, there’s constant turnover, made possible by cheap tickets. We want to preserve this sheltered feel.” PSG attracts a global audience. Paris FC, by contrast, remains rooted in the capital, with cheaper tickets and a more relaxed matchday atmosphere.