Ligue 1 clubs extend matchday beyond the ground to broaden their audience | OneFootball

Fan-zones and pre-match activations, once occasional, are proliferating around Ligue 1 grounds to grow crowds, L'Équipe reports. PSG and Paris FC now share a zone between the Parc des Princes and Stade Jean-Bouin on alternate weekends to enrich the matchday long before kick-off.

Before Paris FC’s 1-0 defeat by Lille on 26 April, the attractions were packed in warm sunshine. The club aims at families and groups of friends and, with logistics partner Panenka, tailors the offer to them.

Lens encourages supporters to arrive early and leave late, having revamped Bollaert’s catering last summer and installed a giant miner’s lamp in December to reflect club identity. PSG opens its zone three hours before matches and has twice earned the LFP’s Accueil et Expérience label.

Lyon moved early with regular shows around Groupama Stadium and the OL Vallée leisure hub, designed to strengthen the area’s pull on matchdays. Lorient’s themed centenary in early April formed part of a broader programme the club says has helped push attendances higher.

Toulouse have staged seven themed activations this season, from Halloween to a record galette line, and will host a free funfair on Sunday before Lyon to mark the Rose Festival and season’s end. FAS Events chief executive François Coudert deems the offer modest versus England or the US, citing budgets as the main brake and suggesting a few extra hours, rather than full days, are realistic.

Source: L'Équipe