FC Basel midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri boosts ratings. Image: KEYSTONE
Since his return to Basel, Xherdan Shaqiri seems to have an influence going well beyond the pitch. If it impacts the sales of his club’s jerseys, and the number of FC Basel followers, it also plays a role in the league’s attendance and TV audiences. This is the “Shaq effect”.
Jakob Weber
The crowd
The Super League has seen a clear increase in overall attendance this season, and one of the explanations lies in the Parc Saint-Jacques, and its packed stands (+4,339 spectators on average per match). There were 10,157 more spectators in Xherdan Shaqiri’s first home match, in August against Yverdon, compared to the previous game, and the stadium was sold out in the next one, against FC Zurich.
A first since the Conference League semi-final in 2023.
The crowds at Joggeli have now naturally decreased. However, in November 2024, there was still an increase of 1,594 and 998 spectators against Servette and Winterthur, compared to the same matches played in April and March of the same year.
There are also more subscribers in Basel. After several years of decline, 16,500 people have a card this season, or 1,000 more than during the 2023/2024 financial year.
“Even the people of Zurich find me friendly. It’s quite special,” Shaqiri said in the SRF show “Sportpanorama” shortly after his return to the Super League. It is therefore not surprising to see that the player with 125 caps also increases the crowds at opposing stadiums when he travels. There is certainly the prestige of the Rhine club and the arrival in large numbers of Basel supporters, but we also want to see “Shaq” play everywhere in Switzerland.
The hearings
This “Shaqiri effect” is also visible on television. The paid channel Bluewhich broadcasts all Super League matches, wrote following our request: “We are happy with our growth this season. Players like Shaqiri are reflected in our numbers. Blue does not, however, wish to communicate them, unlike SRF, which broadcasts the Saturday evening match.
With Shaqiri on the pitch, 120,000 people watched FC Basel-FC Zurich this season, 200,000 the game against YB and 147,000 the game against GC. During the previous financial year, FCB had never reached such a large number of viewers, the same during the first match of the season, against Lugano, when Shaqiri had not yet signed for the club.
-After its transfer, the market share on evenings when FC Basel is broadcast also increased from 6% to 18%, and the ancillary broadcasts of SRF are also watched more.
Sporting value
FC Basel’s game is now adapted to that of Xherdan Shaqiri. Fabio Celestini gives freedom to his star and even transformed the 3-5-2 into 4-3-3, then into 4-2-3-1, so that Shaqiri could act as a free electron. And the 1m69 playmaker delivers the goods. With six goals and nine assists, an average of one point per game, Shaqiri is the most decisive player in the championship, although he missed the first four games.
Xherdan Shaqiri happily plays the role of “quarterback”. He goes back down to the central circle to send balls over the defense or deep passes. And since his balls are received in 65% of cases, the Basel player creates a lot of danger (3.5 shots per match), while he also does not hesitate to take his chances with his powerful left foot (2.4 keystrokes).
Merchandising and sponsorship
20,000 jerseys have already been sold by FC Basel this season, as indicated to CH Media, a group to which watson belongs, club president David Degen. This is an absolute record. A figure almost three times higher than that of the 2023/2024 season.
Of course, many jerseys are flocked with the number 10.
The return of Shaqiri made FC Basel once again known beyond national borders. And it seems that the player is able to attract sponsors, in particular thanks to the countless interviews he gives, and his visibility in the press. The extent of the financial profit will be revealed in a few months, when the management report is made public. In 2023, FC Basel collected 10.2 million francs thanks to sponsorship and 3.1 million thanks to merchandising. Both figures are expected to increase soon.
Social networks
Since August 16, FC Basel has also recorded above-average growth on social media. The number of his Instagram subscribers increased by 7.9% to reach 265,811 followers. On Tiktok, growth is 29.3%, which allowed the club to exceed 130,000 fans. There was also a nice increase on X, before some users decided to turn their backs on the platform, for reasons we know. However, thanks to Shaqiri, the “Musk effect” was able to be cushioned.
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