CDES Limoges

What CDES Limoges does

CDES Limoges (Centre de Droit et d'\u00c9conomie du Sport) is a university research center founded in 1978 and affiliated with the Universit\u00e9 de Limoges, operating as the first French academic institution dedicated to sports law and economics. It generates revenue across three integrated streams: (i) fee-based academic training, including the flagship Master 2 Droit & \u00c9conomie du Sport (running since 1984 across 43 cohorts), a Master 1 partnership, the DU Manager G\u00e9n\u00e9ral (\u20ac15,300) and DU Stadium Manager (\u20ac13,400) professional diplomas, the international MESGO and UEFA MIP programs delivered in English, and the newer Management Strat\u00e9gique de la Crise program run with IHEMI; (ii) recurring Jurisport subscriptions sold through partner publisher Dalloz/JurisEditions (11 monthly issues per year plus digital archives since 2005); and (iii) project-based consulting in legal advisory (representation before state courts, CAS/TAS, and CNOSF conciliation) and economic impact studies for federations, professional clubs, and public institutions, including the final evaluation of the Paris 2024 Olympic legacy strategy.

Underlying the offering is a continuously maintained proprietary documentation database of sports law texts, doctrinal studies, and case law, combined with a publishing pipeline producing roughly 40 specialized books and the annual Code du sport. The go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: CDES acquires consulting engagements via direct institutional outreach and its academic standing, while training programs are filled through university channels, alumni referrals from a 1,000+ graduate network, and high-visibility events such as the biennial colloquium alternating between France's Conseil d'\u00c9tat and Cour de cassation. Notable customers include the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Fran\u00e7aise de Tennis, CNOSF, the European Commission, the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee, and multiple mid-tier professional clubs (Stade Montois, Basket Landes, Oyonnax, JA Vichy).

Strategically, CDES sits at the intersection of French public higher education and the commercial sports ecosystem, monetizing institutional credibility through quasi-monopolistic positioning in French-language sports law scholarship. It is structurally a nonprofit operating within the Universit\u00e9 de Limoges, with no equity investors, no parent corporate entity, and revenue derived solely from program fees, consulting contracts, journal subscriptions, and institutional/EU grants. Its core moat rests on nearly five decades of accumulated expertise, an unmatched publication portfolio, and deep institutional entanglements that private competitors cannot replicate.

Name

CDES Limoges

Legal name

Centre de Droit et d'Économie du Sport

Website

https://cdes.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CDES Limoges is a French university research center founded in 1978 that delivers sports law and economics training programs, publishes the Jurisport journal, and provides consulting services to sports federations, professional clubs, and public institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Law and Economics Consulting & Education

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Legal Services (8111), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal & Governance Professional Development (EDAGANAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Professional Certification & Training Content Publishing (Exam Prep, CE/CPD) (MPAJACAL)

Keywords

• Sports law consulting
• Sports economics research
• Sports management education
• Sports legal advisory
• Professional sports training

Headquarters

HQ city

Limoges

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Academic Training Programs: Revenue from tuition fees for diploma programs including Master 2, Stadium Manager, Manager Général, and professional training courses. Programs offered in initial training (free) and professional training (paid) formats.
2. Jurisport Subscriptions: Revenue from monthly Jurisport journal subscriptions sold through JurisEditions, including physical and digital formats with archives since 2005.
3. Consulting and Expertise Services: Fee-for-service consulting engagements providing legal advice, economic studies, audits, strategic accompaniment, and policy evaluation for sports organizations and public institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CDES Limoges (Centre de Droit et d'Économie du Sport) is a university-affiliated research center that delivers specialized professional training programs, legal and economic consulting services, and academic publications focused on sports law and sports economics. It offers master-level diplomas, university degrees (DU), and certifications for sports industry professionals, alongside fee-for-service advisory engagements for sports federations, professional leagues, clubs, and public institutions. The center also publishes the Jurisport monthly review and specialized books through publishing partners such as Dalloz Éditions.

Product overview

CDES Limoges (Centre de Droit et d'Économie du Sport) is an academic research center at the University of Limoges offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and professional services in sports law and economics. The portfolio consists of: five diploma-granting programs (Master 2 DES, Master 1 DAO, DU Manager Général, DU Stadium Manager, and international programs MESGO and UEFA MIP); a professional certification in Strategic Crisis Management; a monthly publication (Jurisport); specialized book publications; and consulting services in both sports law and economics. The educational offerings follow an alternating work-study model, with programs conducted in partnership with French and international sports institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jurisport: Monthly professional journal co-edited by CDES and Dalloz Juris Editions, covering sports law and economics topics. Eleven issues published annually.
• CDES Alumni
• CDES Formation

Products and services

• Jurisport Monthly Review Monthly professional journal co-edited with Dalloz Éditions covering sports law and economics, bridging academic research and specialized sports journalism. Published 11 times per year in physical and digital formats with archives since 2005.
• Specialized Books (Ouvrages Spécialisés) Specialized books in sports law and economics published in partnership with Dalloz, Pulim, and De Boeck, including the annual Code du Sport and approximately 40 academic works.
• Economic and Legal Studies (Etudes Economiques et Juridiques)
• Legal Advisory Services (Conseil en Droit du Sport)
• Economic Advisory Services (Conseil en Economie du Sport)
• Master 2 Droit et Économie du Sport Pioneering master's degree program created in 1984, the first in sports law and economics in France. Delivered through 15 thematic sessions combining expert knowledge with professional experience sharing in alternating study/work format. Free for initial training students (excluding university registration fees) and €7,000 for professional continuing education track.
• Master 1 Droit et Administration des Organisations
• DU Manager Général
• DU Stadium Manager Professional university diploma (bac+4) for stadium and arena management professionals. Conducted through 10 sessions over two years in renowned sports venues nationally and internationally, covering infrastructure, operations, and profitability. Total cost €13,400.
• MESGO (Master in Sport Governance) English-language international program taking a multidisciplinary approach (law, economics, management, political science) to address current and future challenges facing sports organizations in European and international dimensions.
• UEFA MIP (UEFA Executive Master for International Players)
• Management Stratégique de la Crise Specialized crisis management training program for the sports and events sector, delivered in partnership with IHEMI (Ministry of Interior). Covers 90 hours across 4 sessions of 3 days each, with real-world simulations. Total cost €4,500.
• Formation Référents Supporters One-year training program for Supporters Liaisons (Référents Supporters) dedicated to football in France, directed by Arthur Roudaut and Jean-François Brocard. Part of an Erasmus+ project co-financed by the European Commission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 820 graduates from Master 2 program hold senior positions in sports organizations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• European CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012CDES has conducted commissioned studies on sports agents (2009) and player transfers (2012) for the European Commission, contributing to EU sports policy framework.
• Dalloz Éditions / JurisEditionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Co-editors of Jurisport, the monthly professional journal of sports law and economics. Dalloz handles publication, distribution, and subscription management for eleven annual issues.
• Université de LimogescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984Université de Limoges is CDES's institutional host and certifying body for all diploma programs. CDES operates as a research center within the university's Faculty of Law and Economic Sciences, with administrative affiliation for Master programs.
• IHEMI (Institut des Hautes Études du Ministère de l'Intérieur)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Management Stratégique de la Crise (Strategic Crisis Management) training program, bringing state-level credibility and interior ministry expertise to CDES's crisis management education offering.
• MESGO Consortium (Master in Sport Management and Olympic Studies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational multi-university partnership delivering MESGO, an English-language executive master's program in sports management. Partner institutions collaborate on curriculum development and delivery.
• UEFA, Birkbeck University of London, FIFPro, ECAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership consortium for UEFA MIP (UEFA Executive Master for International Players), with UEFA providing industry leadership, Birkbeck academic credentials, and FIFPro/ECA representing player and club perspectives.
• Football Supporters Europe (FSE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ project partner for the Supporters Referents (SLO) training program, bringing supporter organization perspective to professional supporter liaison officer development.
• Pluricité Group and Agence PharemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent evaluator consortium partners for Paris 2024 'Héritage & Durabilité' legacy strategy evaluation, combining CDES sports law/economics expertise with consultancy and agency capabilities.
• CNOSF (Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for DESport quarterly seminar series and co-organizer of the biennial sports law colloquium alternating between Conseil d'État and Cour de cassation.
• CDES Alumni Network (ADDES)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlumni association promoting networking among 1,000+ CDES graduates worldwide and supporting continued professional development and institutional connections.
• Conseil d'État and Cour de cassationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizers of the biennial sports law colloquium series since 2011, alternating between France's highest administrative and judicial courts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AMOS Sport Business School: Paris-based private school offering bachelor's and master's programs in sport business, management, and marketing. The most prominent French sport management program competitor, sharing CDES's French market and student persona (working sport professionals seeking credentials), though focused on management rather than law/economics.
• Johan Cruyff Institute: Barcelona-headquartered institute delivering master's degrees and short programs in sport management, marketing, and law. Competes directly with CDES for European sport management students and shares the corporate-style executive education delivery model, though it's stronger on marketing/management than legal-economic specialization.
• Sports Management School: Paris-based private school specializing in sport management, marketing, and event management programs. Targets the same French professional and student pool as CDES's Master 2 and DU programs, operating as an alternative French credentialing pathway for the same employer pool of clubs, leagues, and federations.
• Erasmus University Rotterdam (Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences - Sport Studies): Netherlands-based academic program offering sport management and sport policy education. Competes with CDES for European postgraduate sport management students and shares a multidisciplinary social-science approach to sport governance and economics.
• Manchester Metropolitan University Sport (Sport Studies / Sport Management): UK university with a long-established portfolio of sport management, sport policy, and sport development degrees. Comparable university-anchored academic delivery for sport-focused professional education and a likely source of the same international sport official talent pool as CDES's MESGO program.
• Birkbeck Sport Business Centre (University of London): UK academic unit delivering sport business postgraduate education and serving as CDES's co-delivery partner on the UEFA MIP program. Operates a comparable university-anchored model combining teaching, applied research, and industry engagement in the sport business / governance space.
• Université de Lausanne - Institut des Sciences du Sport (ISSUL): Swiss academic unit conducting sport sciences research and teaching including sport management and policy. Closest French-speaking Swiss comparator to CDES for sport academic research and postgraduate education, with overlap on European sport governance and economics focus.
• AISTS (Academy of International Sports Science and Technology): Lausanne-based academic center offering executive master's programs in sport management and Olympic studies, combining legal, economic, and governance analysis. Closest international analog to CDES's Master 2 / MESGO model, targeting the same sport organization professionals with similar multilingual curriculum and industry partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Fieldfisher (Sport Law practice): International full-service law firm with a leading dedicated sport law practice advising federations, clubs, players, and agents on regulatory, contractual, and dispute matters. Overlaps with CDES's legal advisory and litigation work as a much larger, commercially-funded incumbent spanning broader practice areas.

Emerging players

• LawInSport: UK-headquartered digital platform publishing sports law content, hosting events, and providing CPD/training for sport lawyers. Competes with CDES's Jurisport journal and professional development training on the educational content side, targeting an overlapping English-language practitioner audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CDESLimoges
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjVUAI5g7pPOWzCBlPY9uSQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/CDESofficiel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cdes-limoges

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CDES Limoges