62,000 expected, and empty seats
The Velodrome will not be sold out on Sunday night for the Classique. Around 62,000 fans are expected for OM against PSG, kick-off at 20:45. The figure comes from L’Equipe.
This is not a one-off. Marseille have seen attendance drop by around 3% since the start of the season.
The first home game was a full house against Strasbourg (4-0). The visit of Paris FC (2-3) already left a few seats free.
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The club points to a league-wide slide
OM are not denying the trend and see it as part of a wider pattern. “We have noted a drop in stadium attendance of around 3% in these opening weeks, but 16 Ligue 1 clubs are seeing a downward trend, to varying degrees,” the club said.
Two reasons are being put forward. “Ligue 1’s appeal may be one explanation, as may the spending power of French supporters.”
The contrast with last season is glaring. In 2025-2026, Marseille welcomed 1.58 million fans, with 80% of matches sold out and an average crowd of 63,029.
Broadcast money is gone, so tickets matter more
The core support is still strong. The club still has 49,000 season-ticket holders. League season-ticket prices did not rise this summer, and the European package actually fell by 25%.
But broadcast revenue has shrunk. In that context, ticket sales carry far more weight in balancing the books than they used to. OM are piling on package deals and discounted tickets to keep the stadium full.
A Classique that does not quite fill the Velodrome is the kind of signal Marseille’s hierarchy will want to study closely on Monday morning.
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