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This content was machine-translated from the French version.
Pablo Longoria had promised to diversify OM’s revenue streams so that the club would no longer rely solely on sporting results. The Marseille president has now put his money where his mouth is. On Thursday 17 July 2026, the Marseille club officially announced the extension of its partnership with Sublime Côte d’Ivoire, the Ivorian tourism programme that has featured on the Olympique de Marseille shirt for several seasons. Estimated value: €15 million until 2029 – a strong signal sent by both partners just a few weeks before the start of the Ligue 1 season.
A welcome breath of fresh air for Frank McCourt. The American owner, who is actively seeking a minority investor to ease his financial burden, sees his finances relieved by this non-sporting agreement. OM, barred from the Champions League next season following a barren campaign in European competition, must cope with a tight budget and a wage bill that requires close monitoring. This partnership comes at just the right time, as the club is also having to come to terms with several internal changes, including the arrival of Grégory Lorenzi as sporting director.
The American owner, who is actively seeking a minority investor to ease his financial burden, sees his finances relieved by this non-sporting agreement.
A partnership moving upmarket
Sublime Côte d’Ivoire is not a sponsor like any other. The programme, backed by the Ivorian government, uses sport as a showcase for tourism to promote the destination to the European public. Featured on the Marseille shirt, it benefits from considerable media exposure — Ligue 1, domestic cup competitions, and European matches when OM are in action — and resonates particularly strongly with the Ivorian and African diaspora, which has a strong presence in Marseille and the surrounding region.
The extension until 2029 is a testament to mutual satisfaction. For Côte d’Ivoire, OM is an ideal ambassador for its image: a popular, well-supported club with a strong African diaspora amongst its supporters and a Mediterranean flair that complements Côte d’Ivoire’s tourism pitch perfectly. For Marseille, it guarantees a stable income over three further seasons, regardless of league position or European qualification. The previous, more modest contract had already proven the model’s soundness: it was simply a matter of securing it for the long term and broadening its scope.
What this means for the transfer market
In practical terms, these 15 million won’t revolutionise Marseille’s recruitment. But in a context where every euro counts — McCourt has made it clear that he will no longer cover deficits single-handedly — this influx of funds secures the operating budget and gives Grégory Lorenzi, the new sporting director, a little breathing space to negotiate the final deals of the summer transfer window with confidence. It also makes it possible to consider a few loan deals or instalment payment arrangements without jeopardising the club’s financial stability.
The timing is all the more significant as OM is finalising several key deals in the transfer market, including contract extensions for certain key players and the targeted signing of an attacking midfielder. Whilst this Ivorian windfall does not in itself guarantee a summer of major splurging, it does lay the financial foundations for it. The next test, however, will be on the pitch: the resumption of the league and the return to the Vélodrome, where the shirt emblazoned with ‘Sublime Côte d’Ivoire’ will continue to showcase this unusual partnership between a football club and a state-run tourism programme.