How much does it actually cost to organize a Bronze FIP? Padel Magazine

Organize a tournament of the FIP Tour may seem accessible on paper. But behind the name FIP Bronze , the first level of the international circuit of the International Federation of PadelHidden within is an organization that already requires significant resources: prize money, officials, refereeing, medical care, accommodation, communication, staff, infrastructure: How much would it actually cost to organize a FIP Bronze in 2026?

While each tournament has its own specific characteristics, an overall budget is set around 20,000 euros is a realistic initial estimate for a well-managed organization. and the bill can quickly climb towards 25,000 to 30,000 euros, or even more depending on the services offered and the infrastructure already available to the club.

8,500 euros just for the prize money

This is obviously the first factor to consider.

On many FIP Bronze events organized in 2026, the The total prize money amounts to 8,500 euros. This is the case in Mumbai, the Valencian Community, Miami, and France, notably with the upcoming FIP Bronze Marnes II in two weeks, at FIP Bronze ViaPadel the first edition of which took place at the beginning of the year, or even in Rovato.

Please note: 8,500 euros is not a maximum .

Some organizers decide to go further. The FIP Bronze Melbourne Padel Open offered, for example 480,000 euros in prize money back in January 2026.

For a men's and women's tournament with a prize purse of 8,500 euros, the sum is generally distributed as follows: 50% for the men's draw and 50% for the women's draw In Mumbai, for example, the prize money per player was as follows:

winner: 807,50 € ;
finalist: 446,25 € ;
semi-finalist: 212,50 € ;
quarter-finalist: 111,56 € ;
Round of 16 and first round: 0 € .

The prize money alone therefore represents a considerable part of the budget of a FIP Bronze.

Up to 32 pairs in the main draw and 64 in qualifying

Another element helps to understand the scale that the event can take: the size of the tables.

Across several FIP Bronze 2026, the maximum observed formula includes a main 32-pairs bracket with:

26 pairs admitted directly + 4 qualified + 2 wild-cards.

Qualifications, however, can reach 64 pairs with 56 direct admissions and 8 wild cards. This is notably the format used in Mumbai, Miami or Rovato.

In other words, when a tournament simultaneously offers significant men's and women's draws, it is potentially more than a hundred pairs that we need to be able to accommodate over several days.

And that means available pitches, training slots, changing rooms, staff, referees, water, balls and all the logistics that accompany the arrival of international players.

However, the boom in the number of FIP tournaments does not necessarily mean that the draws are getting fuller. Since 2026, a new element has been added to the equation: players must now subscribe to PadelUNO, the official FIP registration platform , in order to be able to participate in international competitions.

To progress on the FIP Tour , this subscription costs €80 per year per player The price reached 150 € for combined access to the FIP Tour and to Premier PadelThis expense is in addition to the national federation license, travel, accommodation, and also the registration fees for each tournament, which can reach 40 € per player on the FIP circuit.

Tournament access: padel more expensive than tennis

This new pricing structure had already sparked considerable criticism when it was introduced earlier this year, particularly among players outside the world elite, for whom the expenses required to compete on the circuit are already significant compared to the accessible prize money.

Dance what contexts, Some organizers are noticing that the schedules are less full than expected. despite the explosion in the number of tournaments on the calendar. However, it would be excessive to attribute this trend solely to membership fees. PadelUNO: the proliferation of FIPs also leads to a player distribution across an increasing number of events , while travel and accommodation costs continue to weigh heavily in the choice of competitions.

This situation can become frustrating for organizers: while the costs required to set up a Bronze FIP remain significant, Filling in the tables is no longer systematically guaranteed , particularly when several tournaments are organized simultaneously in the same geographical area.

Qualifying rounds that can begin as early as Monday or Tuesday

A FIP Bronze is not simply a tournament organized from Friday to Sunday.

When qualifications are important, the competition can start very early in the week.

In Rovato, for example, the schedule included the first round of qualifying on Tuesday – or even Monday if necessary – followed by the rest of the qualifying rounds on Wednesday and Thursday. The main draw then began on Friday, with the round of 16 and quarterfinals on Saturday, and the semifinals and finals on Sunday.

In Miami, the qualifying rounds also began before the main draw, with the competition spanning virtually the entire week.

This duration obviously has a direct impact on the cost of the organization.

Tournaments that can now be concentrated into three days

However, a reverse trend can also be observed for Bronze FIPs: Competitions become increasingly compact when the brackets are not full. .

The calculation is quite simple. Fewer pairs entered means fewer matches to schedule and therefore potentially fewer days needed to complete the competition. A tournament initially likely to start on Monday or Tuesday may ultimately only start on Wednesday or Thursday. In some particularly small configurations, The bulk of the competition can even take place over three days, from Friday to Sunday. , in a format which then approaches, in terms of duration, that of a P2000 in France.

This phenomenon can be particularly noticeable in women's events. Some FIP Bronze tournaments feature relatively small women's draws, and sometimes events cannot even be confirmed due to an insufficient number of pairs. When events are held with a reduced draw, the number of matches can fall far short of the maximum capacity allowed by the regulations. The question of competitive level can also arise in some international tournaments when the field is particularly limited.

For men, the increasing number of FIP tournaments held simultaneously also helps to spread players across more destinations. Here again, when a qualifying draw designed to accommodate several dozen pairs is only partially filled, the organizer can significantly shorten their schedule.

Fewer days, less spending… but also less revenue

For the organizer, this contraction of the calendar has a direct economic effect .

A cancelled day of competition potentially represents one less day of funding in terms of staff, referees, medical equipment, catering for officials, maintenance, security, electricity consumption, and infrastructure deployment. Over several days, the savings can become significant and contribute substantially to reducing the actual cost of organizing a Bronze FIP (International Professional Football Festival).

But the equation has its downside: Fewer tournament days also potentially means less revenue .

For a club that organizes the event directly, shortening the competition can mean fewer visits to the bar and restaurant, less club attendance, and fewer opportunities for promotional activations. A three-day event also offers less exposure to partners than a competition that occupies the club for five or six days.

And above all, fewer players mechanically means fewer registration fees collected .

This presents an interesting paradox for the organizers: Less full schedules can reduce the operating cost of a Bronze FIP (and allow for the traditional rental of tracks for the club), but they can simultaneously reduce some of the revenue used to finance the event. .

A concentrated FIP Bronze event running from Friday to Sunday will logically cost less to produce than one with several qualifying days starting at the beginning of the week. However, its economic potential – registration fees, catering, attendance, sponsorships, and partner activations – may also be lower.

Officials: a position that should not be forgotten

Prize money is the most visible expense, but certainly not the only one.

An international tournament requires a dedicated team of officials and organizers. In particular, the costs associated with... FIP supervisor, to the referee and more broadly to the refereeing team necessary for the running of the competition .

In addition to this, the following may be included:

the fees;
accommodation;
meals;
local transport;
possibly transport tickets for certain officials.

Depending on the duration of the test and the chosen method, this position can quickly represent several thousand euros .

An envelope in the order of 1 500 to 3 500 euros Therefore, even more depending on the configuration, is not unrealistic. In France, the FFFT largely covers the costs.

Accommodation, meals and transport

This is another extremely variable position.

The cost will obviously be very different between a club with a partner hotel nearby and an organizer obliged to cover several nights at the public rate.

Meals and possibly some transport between the hotel and the club should also be planned for.

The official tournament information sheets show very different arrangements. In Agrigento, for example, a daily hotel-club service was advertised, while in Rovato or Miami no daily hotel-club transport was offered.

For expenses directly incurred by the organizer, a budget of 1 000 to 2 500 euros can be achieved quickly. (Even though for a Bronze FIP, the cost remains limited)

The medical device

It is also impossible to organize an international competition without providing appropriate medical facilities.

Presence of a physiotherapist First aid equipment and organization to quickly take care of an injury are among the expenses to be included.

Depending on the number of competition days and the services provided, you should budget approximately 800 to 1 euros , with, again, significant variations possible.

Balls, water and services for the players

Taken individually, these positions seem relatively modest.

Added up over several days and for potentially several hundred players and accompanying persons, they end up representing a considerable sum.

Specifically, the following should be planned:

balls, water, consumables, player areas, accreditations, signage, possibly catering or snacks and provision of training tracks.

Again, not all tournaments offer exactly the same services.

In Rovato, for example, the training grounds were not free: a 1.5-hour session was advertised at 5 euros per player .

An envelope of 500 to 1 euros The cost of sports logistics and consumables seems reasonable for establishing an initial budget.

Staff, security and reception

Next, the event needs to be triggered.

Player reception, access control, setup, dismantling, maintenance, public management, catering, volunteers or employees: the cost depends enormously on the structure of the club.

A club that already has employees can absorb part of this cost in its usual operations.

An organizer using additional staff will, however, have to add 1 000 to 3 000 euros , or even much more for an ambitious event.

Communication, photography and video production

This is probably the position with the biggest gap between two FIP Bronzes.

An organizer can be satisfied with relatively simple communication or decide to transform their Bronze into a true media product.

Graphic design, social media, photography, interviews, articles, community management, recording, commentary, production and streaming can quickly represent several thousand euros more.

We can reasonably consider:

5,000 to 10,000 euros for communication and photography then 3,000 to 10,000 euros or more for a developed video/streaming production .

Site installation and decoration

Finally, there is everything that the spectator does not necessarily notice immediately: panels, tarpaulins, partner areas, podium, signage, furniture, player areas, VIP areas or even temporary adaptations of the club.

For a relatively simple organization, an additional 1,000 to 4,000 euros may easily be necessary.

And if the tournament has to rent tracks, build stands or install temporary infrastructure, we are completely changing scale.

Finally, how much does a FIP Bronze cost?

By grouping the main items together, here is a rough estimate:

Post	Estimate
prize money	€4,000 and over
Officials / Refereeing	€1 to €500
Accommodation / meals / transportation	€1 to €000
Medical / Physiotherapy	800 to 1 €
Balls / water / player services	500 to 1 €
Staff / security / reception	€1 to €000
Communication / Photography	€3 to €000
Streaming / production	3 000 at €10,000 and above
Cladding / installation / equipment	€1,000 to €4,000 and more

On this basis, A Bronze FIP can therefore represent approximately 20,000 to 40,000 euros in expenses .

Conversely, as soon as it becomes necessary to rent infrastructure, significantly increase audiovisual production, offer more services, or increase prize money, The €35,000 mark can be quickly surpassed. .

Registrations help to recover part of the budget

However, there is one recipe directly linked to the competition.

For many FIP Bronze 2026 programs, the registration fees are set at 40 euros per player This is particularly the case in Mumbai, Beniparrell, Miami, Agrigento and Rovato.

Let's take a theoretical example.

With 100 different pairs registered That's 200 players, which represents:

200 × €40 = €8,000 in registrations.

With 150 players, the revenue reaches 6,000 euros.

However, be aware: this calculation constitutes a theoretical gross revenue . The total registration fees should not be automatically considered as net revenue directly available to finance the organization without taking into account federal, national, tax regulations and any applicable fees for the tournament in question.

Furthermore, the recipe example is not always realistic, as it obviously depends on the number of pairs entered.

The business model therefore relies heavily on partners

This is ultimately where the economic stake of a Bronze FIP lies.

The tournament has several potential sources of revenue: Registrations, private partners, naming rights, local sponsorship, catering, ticketing (where available), hospitality and commercial activations .

For a club that already owns its grounds, has its staff and manages to obtain several partners, the FIP Bronze can become a formidable communication tool while maintaining a relatively controlled budget.

For an organization that has to outsource the majority of its services, the equation becomes much more difficult.

The "Bronze" status might suggest a small international tournament. In reality, with 8,500 euros in prize money, up to 32 pairs in the main draw, potentially 64 in qualifying, and nearly a week of competition Organising a FIP Bronze is already a true professional event.

And above all, this is perhaps the whole point of this category: The chances of seeing French players go far in the draw, or even reach the final, are higher. , as in the first edition of the FIP Bronze in Marnes-la-Coquette.

So much so that the second edition, initially planned for FIP Silver was finally put into FIP Bronze , with the aim of avoiding a table that is too challenging and maintaining a strong French presence, like the first edition.

And even before the first ball crosses the net, Several tens of thousands of euros can already be committed.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.