German football hits record revenues and ticket sales

Ticket sales and club revenues hit record numbers across the top two leagues of German football in 2023-24, the German Football Leagues (DFL) annnounced on Tuesday. 

The DFL, which runs the Bundesliga and second-tier Bundesliga 2, said the total revenue last season was 5.87 billion euros ($6.4 billion), a 12 percent increase on the previous record set in 2022-23. 

A total of 20.74 million tickets were sold in the 2023-24 season, the first time the 20-million ticket barrier has been broken. 

The 18-team Bundesliga averages higher attendances than other European football leagues, including the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A. 

The German second division, which averages similar crowd numbers to France's Ligue 1 and Major League Soccer in the United States, broke the one billion euro revenue mark for the first time. 

For context, German giants Bayern Munich also broke the one billion euro revenue barrier for the first time in the 2023-24 season, despite finishing third in the table behind unbeaten winners Bayer Leverkusen. 

At a time of increasing concerns surrounding debt among clubs and leagues across Europe, around half of the clubs in the top two German leagues were in the black last season.

German sides operate a 50+1 model, which requires members to own 50 percent plus one share of the club. 

The system restricts outside investment and foreign ownership, while seeking to ensure members have a say in the direction of the team. 

The figures show how German football has rebounded from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

German football employed 62,000 people across the country last season, an increase from the previous high of 56,000 set in 2018-19, the final year before the pandemic.