Valencia Handball

What Valencia Handball does

Valencia Handball (legally VDHB Valence Drôme Handball, operating as "Les Béliers") is a French professional handball club founded in 1988 and headquartered in Valence, Drôme, France. The club competes in Proligue, the second-tier division of French professional handball organized by the Ligue Nationale de Handball (LNH), and plays its home matches at the PMF arena (Palais des Sports de Valence). It is a private sports association with no disclosed venture capital or private equity backing, operating under the traditional French sports club model.

The club generates revenue through three primary streams: (1) matchday ticket sales via its dedicated vhb.billetterie-club.fr platform, (2) merchandise sales through a SumUp online storefront (valence-handball.sumupstore.com), and (3) sponsorship and partnership income from a structured corporate program. Its sponsorship base includes major-tier partners (Amundi, BUSSEUIL, CORIANCE, E.Leclerc, ELDERA, FRAISSE ISOLATION, Leroy Merlin, LXF Assurances, SOGEMAT, Veolia Propreté) and a "hand'entreprises" tier of smaller business partners (Aesio Mutuelle, Credit Agricole, Groupama, Andros, Burger King, AF Communication). Institutional partners include Ville de Valence, La Drôme Département, Valence Romans Agglo, and Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Fan engagement is delivered through a dedicated iOS and Android mobile application, an Instagram presence (@vdhbofficiel), and a WordPress-based website providing news, calendar, and roster information.

The organization's product surface is entirely sports-centric: there are no technology products, APIs, or SaaS offerings. The club is led on the sporting side by head coach Romain Nebois, supported by goalkeepers coach Hervé Messador and physical trainer Tom Colomby. Current operational performance places the team 7th in Proligue standings. Recent activity has centered on squad building for the 2026/27 season, including loan signing Cyprien Sol and contract extensions for Quentin Vella, Goran Levavasseur, Tom Bertini, and Malo Lignières. The club serves local handball fans in the Drôme region and corporate partners seeking regional brand visibility.

Name

Valencia Handball

Legal name

VDHB Valence Drôme Handball

Website

https://valencehandball.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Valencia Handball (VDHB Valence Drôme Handball) is a French professional handball club founded in 1988, competing in Proligue and playing home matches at PMF arena in Valence, Drôme. It serves local fans through matchday attendance, merchandise, and a mobile app, funded by ticket sales, sponsorships, and regional institutional support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Club Services

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (7112), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Handball Leagues (MPAKAAAM)

Keywords

• Professional handball club
• Proligue league
• Sports ticketing
• Team merchandise sales
• Corporate sports sponsorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Valence

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Match Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales for professional handball matches at PMF arena in Proligue league
2. Merchandise Sales: Revenue from official club merchandise sold through online boutique (valence-handball.sumupstore.com)
3. Sponsorship and Partnerships: Revenue from corporate sponsorships with major partners (Amundi, Busseuil, Coriance, E.Leclerc, Leroy Merlin, etc.) and business partners ('hand'entreprises')

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Valencia Handball (VDHB) is a French professional handball club that competes in Proligue, the second-tier national handball league. The club's core offering consists of live professional handball match entertainment at the PMF arena, complemented by official team merchandise sales through an online boutique, match-day ticketing services, and digital fan engagement via a dedicated mobile application. The club also monetizes its audience and brand through corporate sponsorship packages (major partners and 'hand'entreprises' program) and institutional partnerships with local and regional government bodies.

Product overview

Valencia Handball (VDHB) is a French professional handball club based in Valence, Drôme. The organization operates as a sports club competing in Proligue (the second-tier French handball league) and does not offer technology products or services in the traditional SaaS sense. The club's digital presence consists of a WordPress-based website providing match information, ticketing, merchandise sales, news updates, and team roster information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Handball Match Tickets
• Official Club Merchandise
• VDHB Mobile Application
• Corporate Sponsorship Packages

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Ville de ValencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner providing institutional support to the club. Part of institutional partner section.
• La Drôme DépartementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental government partner supporting regional sports development through the handball club.
• Valence Romans AgglocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgglomeration community partner supporting the club as part of regional development initiatives.
• Région AURAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional council partner providing institutional funding and support.
• AmundimajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor (Asset management company) featured as premium partner in partner section.
• BUSSEUILmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor partner providing support as featured business partner.
• CORIANCEmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor partner (energy/thermal services company).
• E.LECLERC BOURG LES VALENCEmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor retail sponsor partner with two locations (Bourg-lès-Valence and Valence).
• ELDERAmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor partner providing support to the club.
• FRAISSE ISOLATIONmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor partner (insulation services company).
• LEROY MERLINmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor partner (home improvement retail chain).
• LXF ASSURANCESmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor partner (insurance company).
• SOGEMATmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor partner (materials/construction supplier).
• VEOLIA PROPRETEmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor partner (waste management and environmental services).
• AESIO MUTUELLEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner (health insurance mutual) in hand'entreprises program.
• AF CommunicationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner (communication agency) in hand'entreprises program.
• ANDROSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner (food/beverage company) in hand'entreprises program.
• Credit AgricoleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner (banking institution) in hand'entreprises program.
• GroupamaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner (insurance company) in hand'entreprises program.
• BURGER KINGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner (fast food chain) in hand'entreprises program.
• Ligue Auvergne Rhône AlpescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional handball league governing body overseeing the sport in AURA region.
• Comité Drôme ArdèchecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional handball committee for Drôme-Ardèche area, part of institutional partner network.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Cherbourg Handball: Proligue club directly above VDHB in the table (6th). Same league, similar regional club economics, directly comparable for benchmarking.
• Séméac-Tarbes Handball: Other Proligue club in the same second tier. Directly comparable as a competing French second-tier professional handball club with similar regional sponsorship-driven revenue model.
• Pontault-Combault Handball: Fellow Proligue (French second-tier handball) club. Directly comparable to VDHB as a recent opponent (Pontault beat VDHB 32-30), with similar league positioning, sponsorship-driven revenue model, and regional catchment.
• Caen Handball: Proligue club currently 3rd in standings. Direct peer with identical league, comparable revenue mix (ticketing, sponsorship, merchandise), and similar-sized regional catchment.
• US Ivry Handball: Proligue rival currently 2nd in the standings. Comparable as a competing second-tier French handball club with similar match-day, sponsorship, and ticketing business model.
• Pau Billère Handball: Proligue rival (5th in standings). Comparable second-tier French handball club with similar small-market regional dynamics and sponsor-driven economics.
• Billère Handball: Historic French handball club that has oscillated between Proligue and Starligue. Directly comparable as a same-tier regional handball club business with similar operational economics.

Broad incumbents

• Montpellier Handball: Historic French handball powerhouse in the top-tier Starligue. Comparable as a French professional handball club business, but operates at multiple championship tiers above VDHB.
• Paris Saint-Germain Handball: Top-tier French handball club (Starligue). Comparable as a French professional handball team with sponsorship/ticketing model, but operates in the premier tier with vastly larger economics and a national/global brand.
• THW Kiel: Top European handball club (Handball-Bundesliga, Germany). Comparable as a professional handball team with ticketing, sponsorship, and merchandise revenues, but at vastly larger scale than VDHB.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/vdhbofficiel
• Xx.com/ValenceHandball
• Facebookfacebook.com/valencehandball
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/valence-handball

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Valencia Handball