FFBS - Fédération Française de Baseball et Softball

What FFBS - Fédération Française de Baseball et Softball does

FFBS - Fédération Française de Baseball et Softball is a French non-profit sports association (Association de Loi 1901), founded on 3 November 1924 and headquartered at 11 rue de Sully, Créteil (Val-de-Marne). Designated as a delegated federation under Article L.131-14 of the French Sports Code, FFBS is the exclusive national governing body for baseball, softball, baseball5, and adapted variants including Blind Baseball. The federation operates a multi-tier competitive pyramid (Division 1, 2, 3 baseball; Softball masculine and feminine divisions; Baseball5 Open de France; youth categories 10U, 12U, 15U, 18U) and manages three Pôle France high-performance centers (Boulouris for softball, Toulouse for baseball, Montpellier for baseball5) that feed national teams competing in WBSC and European events. President Didier Seminet leads a 58-employee organization that celebrated its centenary in 2024.

The federation's offering is a digital ecosystem rather than a software product. It comprises member-facing portals (Espace Licenciés, licence.ffbs.fr), club/league administration (Extranet, extranet.ffbs.fr), a club-finder tool (ou-pratiquer.ffbs.fr), an e-commerce store (boutique.ffbs.fr) for licenses, affiliations, mutations, and merchandise, competition scheduling and results (ffbs.wbsc.org), team management (MyCoach), skill assessment (Challenge TripleJeu Skillshark), and the Institut National de Formation Baseball Softball (INFBS) for coach, referee, scorer, and official certification. FFBS reaches members through its website, social media (Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram), DailyMotion (FFBSTV), and a national TV partnership with Sport en France.

FFBS generates revenue through three primary streams: recurring licensing fees for individual practitioners (baseball, softball, baseball5), recurring club affiliation and registration fees processed through the Extranet, and e-commerce merchandise sales through the boutique. Additional funding comes from public grants via the Agence Nationale du Sport (PSF appels à projets) and institutional sponsorship from MLB, Little League, New Era, and Teammate. Pricing for licenses, affiliations, and event entries is not publicly disclosed; interested parties are directed to the federation's portals or direct contact. The federation is supervised by the French Ministry of Sports and is affiliated with CNOSF, CPSF/France Paralympique, WBSC, and WBSC Europe.

Name

FFBS - Fédération Française de Baseball et Softball

Legal name

Fédération Française de Baseball et de Softball

Website

https://ffbs.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FFBS is the French national governing federation for baseball, softball, and baseball5, founded in 1924. A 58-employee non-profit under French Sports Code Article L.131-14, it licenses players, affiliates clubs, runs national competitions, and operates training and high-performance programs across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

National Sports Federation

NAICS

Other Spectator Sports (711219), Spectator Sports (71121)

akta.pro primary industry

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Baseball & Softball Leagues (MPAKAAAC), Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional) (MPAKACAD)

Keywords

• National sports federation
• Baseball governance
• Softball federation
• Athlete licensing services
• Coach certification programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Créteil

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Licensing and membership fees: The federation generates revenue through licensing fees for baseball, softball, and baseball5 practitioners. Members obtain licenses through the federation's online platform (licence.ffbs.fr).
2. Online store sales: FFBS operates an e-commerce platform (boutique.ffbs.fr) selling merchandise and sporting equipment.
3. Club affiliations and registrations: Baseball and softball clubs pay affiliation fees to be part of the federation network, managed through the extranet portal (extranet.ffbs.fr).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FFBS is the official French national federation governing baseball, softball, and baseball5, providing annual individual and club licensing, organizing national championships (Divisions 1, 2, 3) and youth competitions across age categories, operating the Institut National de Formation Baseball Softball (INFBS) for coach and official certification, and managing an e-commerce boutique for merchandise and licensing services. The federation also fields national teams in international WBSC competitions and operates three Pôles France high-performance training centers.

Product overview

The FFBS operates as a multi-platform sports federation offering a comprehensive digital ecosystem for baseball, softball, and baseball5 practitioners in France. The core offering consists of member-facing portals (Espace Licenciés for individual members, Extranet for club/league administrators), a training institute (INFBS) delivering federal and professional certifications, an e-commerce boutique for licenses and merchandise, and competition management tools via the WBSC platform. Additional services include team management (MyCoach) and skill assessment (Skillshark). The federation does not offer a traditional software product but rather a suite of interconnected web services supporting the entire baseball-softball sports lifecycle from licensing to competition management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Federation Licensing (Espace Licenciés)
• INFBS Training and Certification Programs
• National Baseball, Softball, and Baseball5 Competitions
• Club Affiliation and Administrative Services (Espace Dirigeants)
• Boutique FFBS (Federation E-commerce Store)
• Pôles France High-Performance Training Centers Three dedicated high-performance training facilities: Pôles France Softball (Boulouris), Pôles France Baseball (Toulouse), and Pôles France Baseball5 (Montpellier), supporting elite athlete development for national team selection and international competition representation.

Quantifiable outcome

• France ranked 3rd in world Baseball5 according to WBSC rankings (October 2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ministère des Sports, de la Jeunesse et de la Vie AssociativecoreOthersThe French Ministry of Sports is the governmental authority overseeing sports development in France. As an institutional partner, it provides governmental support and recognition to the federation's mission of promoting baseball and softball.
• Agence Nationale du Sport (ANS)coreOthersThe National Sports Agency provides funding and support for sports development projects in France. FFBS receives institutional support through ANS for athlete development and sports promotion programs.
• France ParalympiquecoreOthersThe French Paralympic Committee supports para-sports development. FFBS partners with France Paralympique for Blind Baseball and adapted sports programs.
• Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français (CNOSF)coreOthersThe French National Olympic and Sports Committee is the umbrella organization for French sports federations. FFBS is affiliated and participates in Olympic movement activities, including the Soirée des Champions.
• World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)coreOthersWBSC is the international governing body for baseball, softball, and baseball5. FFBS is affiliated and participates in world championships, Olympic events, and international competitions organized by WBSC.
• World Baseball Classic EuropeminorOthersEuropean division of the World Baseball Classic tournament, organizing elite international baseball competitions in Europe.
• Major League Baseball (MLB)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMLB is the premier professional baseball league worldwide. As a major partner, MLB supports baseball development in France through visibility, player pathways, and international development initiatives. French players like Mathias Lacombe and Mathis Nayral have been drafted by MLB franchises.
• New EraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew Era is a major headwear and apparel brand. As a major partner of FFBS, they likely provide equipment and branding support for French baseball and softball.
• TeammateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTeammate is a sports equipment and apparel brand serving as a major partner of FFBS for baseball and softball gear.
• Little LeaguecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLittle League Baseball operates the world's largest youth baseball and softball program. FFBS participates in Little League France (interligues competitions for 12U and 15U), connecting young French players to the international Little League network.
• WBSC EuropecoreOthersThe European Baseball Softball Confederation organizes continental competitions including European Championships. FFBS participates in and hosts European events through this partnership.
• Sport en FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational French sports television channel that broadcast the historic first televised final of the Challenge de France Féminin de Softball 2025, providing national visibility for French softball.
• Association Colosse au Pied d'ArgileminorOthersChild protection organization that FFBS partners with for the 'Protection des mineurs' (minor protection) program, ensuring safe sports environments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BaseballSoftballUK: The UK's national baseball and softball organization, comparable to FFBS as a European NGB for the same sports, operating under Sport England/UK Sport with similar scale (small staff, niche sport in a football-dominated market), licensing model, and competition pyramid. Useful peer for English-market benchmarking.
• Česká Baseballová a Softballová Asociace (Czech BSA): Czech Baseball and Softball Association, a smaller European national federation directly comparable to FFBS in scale (small staff, niche sport competing with football/ice hockey, multi-division pyramid). Useful peer for benchmarking a smaller European baseball/softball NGB with similar market dynamics.
• Koninklijke Nederlandse Baseball en Softbal Bond (KNBSB): Dutch national baseball and softball federation, a WBSC-affiliated European NGB with a comparable competition pyramid and licensing model, operating in a market where baseball has somewhat stronger cultural roots than in France but still niche. Direct peer for European baseball federation benchmarking.
• Baseball Federation of Japan: Japan's amateur baseball governing body (JABA), the national federation counterpart to FFBS in a market where baseball is mainstream. Structurally analogous as a WBSC-affiliated NGB with national competition pyramid and player development pathways, but operating at vastly larger scale due to baseball's cultural prominence in Japan.
• Real Federación Española de Béisbol y Sófbol (RFEBS): Spain's national baseball and softball federation, an Ibero-American European NGB affiliated with WBSC and the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE). Comparable structure to FFBS: multi-division national championships, regional federations, and government-backed funding model.
• Federazione Italiana Baseball e Softball (FIBS): Italy's national baseball and softball federation, structurally comparable to FFBS as a European national governing body for the same sports under WBSC, with similar competition pyramid (Serie A/B/C), licensing model, and dependence on CONI government funding. Most direct European peer for benchmarking.
• Deutscher Baseball und Softball Verband (DBV): Germany's national baseball and softball federation, operating under the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund with similar structure to FFBS — multi-division competition pyramid, regional associations (Landesverbände), training certifications, and dependence on public sports funding. Closest peer for scale and market context.

Broad incumbents

• World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC): The international governing body for baseball, softball, and baseball5 worldwide. WBSC is FFBS's international umbrella and organizes the world championships and Olympic events in which FFBS competes. Broader incumbent that sets the rules and competition calendar for FFBS's national team participation.
• USA Baseball: The US national governing body for amateur baseball, including collegiate, youth, and national team programs. While structurally similar to FFBS as a national federation, USA Baseball operates at significantly greater scale within the world's largest baseball market — useful as an upper-bound benchmark for what a national baseball federation can become.
• Major League Baseball (MLB): Premier professional baseball league globally and a core strategic partner of FFBS. While not a federation, MLB is the dominant commercial force in the sport FFBS governs, providing player pathways (draft picks Lacombe, Nayral), development resources, and brand visibility. Broad incumbent shaping the ecosystem in which FFBS operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FFBS_BASEBALL
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@francebaseballsoftball
• Facebookfacebook.com/FFBaseballSoftball
• Instagraminstagram.com/francebaseballsoftball
• TikToktiktok.com/@ffbaseballsoftballbb5
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ffbaseballsoftball

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FFBS - Fédération Française de Baseball et Softball