Professional football in Germany has an important role to play in the economy, community and culture, from grass roots up

Bundesliga report 2015: the facts

22.01.2015

Cologne - Professional football in Germany has an important role to play in the economy, community and culture.

Economy

Here is an explanation of those roles...

How significant is professional football in Germany as an employer?

Professional football in Germany is an employer of 48,830 people. 17,228 are directly employed by the 36 clubs from the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 or by their subsidiaries.

In addition to this, 31,602 people are indirectly employed in the running of the league, for example: security employees, catering firms and cleaning services.

How significant is professional football as a tax payer?

In the 2013/14 season, Germany's professional football paid in excess of 875 million euros in taxes and contributions to the revenue office and social security benefits office – more than ever before.

In the last five years alone, professional football has paid approximately four billion euros in taxes and contributions.

What role does revenue from the marketing of media rights play for clubs?

Clubs want to continue to ensure the quality of professional football in Germany: build modern stadia, sign top players and continue to nurture talented young players. This is in one way financed by the revenue from the marketing of media rights.

Up to and including the 2016/17 season, approximately 2.5 billion euros will be distributed to the 36 professional football clubs out of the central marketing of national media rights.

Revenue from this marketing in Germany is allocated in a proportion of 80 per cent to the Bundesliga clubs and 20 per cent to the Bundesliga 2 clubs. The money is distributed to the 36 clubs according to criteria which takes into consideration the final placings over the course of the previous five seasons, with a greater weighting to the more recent campaign, reducing accordingly.

How is German professional football economically speaking?

In the 2013/14 season, the 18 Bundesliga clubs had combined turnover of 2.45 billion euros. That is an increase of 12.9 per cent on the previous season.

It is remarkable that turnover has grown for the tenth year in a row since the 2003/04 season.

In the Bundesliga, 13 out of 18 clubs were able to post positive post-tax figures. Overall, 24 out of the 36 professional clubs made a profit after tax. Bundesliga 2 was also able to increase turnover to 458 million euros. This is an improvement of 9.2 per cent year on year.

How popular is the Bundesliga when compared internationally?

The Bundesliga is - calculated on match attendance figures - the worldwide leading football league. An average of 42,609 fans attend every Bundesliga game, which equates to 90 per cent of overall capacity. The average in Bundesliga 2 in 2013/14 was 17,853, making it also the international leader at its level.

Football culture

How important is marketing the Bundesliga abroad?

Matches involving German professional football clubs can be watched in 208 of the 209 FIFA member territories.

The main income from rights marketing continues to come from Germany. However, the marketing of broadcasting rights abroad has led to already more than 70 million euros being earned, and this figure is increasing - in 2015/16, the marketing of international media rights will grow to over 150 million euros.

Community

How much money do professional clubs invest in youth development?

Since 2002, approximately 940 million euros have flowed into the creation of centres of excellence from the 36 professional clubs. In the 2013/14 season, expenditure in this area was 120.15 million euros.

Download:

Bundesliga Report 2015 (PDF)