A growth industry for the French economy

The sporting goods market is worth around €12 billion in France. Every year, Groupe BPCE publishes a study showing that this industry accounts for almost €90 billion of France’ s economy and no fewer than 448,000 jobs.

France has around 360,000 sports associations and 112,000 sports-related businesses.

And that’s without taking into account the additional funds generated by investment from local authorities, sponsors and partners, and television rights.

A sector focused on international expansion and innovation

Sports events and the sports market are international, so students will be working in a multicultural sector. In 2024, for example, France is hosting the Olympic Games, an event that is creating a huge number of jobs and business opportunities in Paris, the Paris region and the rest of France.

The benefits of marketing

Marketing professions are essential to the development of a company that must constantly increase its capital. The choice is a strategic one, because the jobs will always be numerous and varied. Sports marketing can encompass communication, sponsorship, press relations, events, international relations, retail and business development.

A specialisation that can close doors to other professions

Sports marketing is a field in which you can specialise through your studies or professional experience. The course is therefore less generalist.

This makes it more difficult to join a pharmaceutical marketing department, for example. This transition is not impossible, but it does require students to make skilful career choices if they are to reorient themselves effectively.

A demanding business vision

Sports marketing requires a business vision of the industry. This profession is ultimately lucrative for the company in which the employee works. Employees may be asked to meet financial, satisfaction or performance targets, adding extra pressure to their work.

Mastering hard skills

As part of their training, students learn about all aspects of the marketing mix – print, physical and digital. Among other things, they learn how to launch a range of products and services, gather and use customer insights, find and retain sponsors, organise events and increase sales.

Developing soft skills

The qualities needed to work in sports marketing, apart from the hard skills related to the business, are responsiveness, proactivity, curiosity, creativity and autonomy.

Companies often have to react in a very short space of time, and be creative in finding solutions that win consensus while remaining innovative, sometimes with reduced budgets.

What are the qualities of a sports marketing manager?

The qualities of a sports marketing manager, in addition to those mentioned above, seem to be the ability to have a truly innovative and strategic vision of the business in which they operate.

This job requires a solid theoretical grounding, but also the ability to think about the future and the development of the products or services that the company is developing, in the light of current events and new consumer trends. You have to be able to adapt and change, taking into account events beyond your control, CSR issues and new technologies.

In addition to technical knowledge, a responsible job also requires managerial and team management skills. Caring, listening and transparency seem to be essential qualities of good management, whether in sport or in any other sector.

What training do you need to become a sports marketing manager?

INSEEC, part of the OMNES Education group, offers specialisations in the field of sport.

INSEEC is a recognised business school with locations in many French cities and partnerships with international schools.

This establishment offers post-bac courses up to Masters level in sport, including the :

How much does a sports marketing manager earn and what are his or her career prospects?

Sports marketing offers attractive salaries, depending of course on the structure in which the employee works. An association does not have the same budgets as a private company or financial institution.

For example: