• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Bundesliga Is Ready to Take American Growth to the Next Level

Bundesliga - Sports

Last week, Bundesliga International opened an office in New York City, its first on American soil and second outside of Germany. The office will focus on building brand awareness for the league and its clubs while developing media and marketing partnerships.

Arne Rees, Bundesliga International’s executive vice president of strategy who will help lead the New York office alongside Melanie Fitzgerald, believes that now is the perfect time for the launch.

“Soccer has grown pretty steadily over the last 20 years. The last seven to eight years, it has really accelerated in terms of interest. [The growth] was primarily driven by the top European leagues,” he said.

As an English-speaking league, the Premier League not only had a language advantage, but its deal with NBC, signed in 2013, helped drive awareness of the brand early, boosting its presence by making viewing matches not only accessible but high-quality and appealing.

SEE MORE: As Women’s Soccer Grows, NWSL Aims to Be the Sport’s Global Leader

A lot has changed in recent years and, while the Premier League is still considered the leader by many, other leagues are starting to encroach on its long-held territory. Bundesliga, for example, has a deal with FOX Sports that has helped the league’s visibility since its signing three years ago.

“[It] has really upped our profile and the audience we get put in front of and so we are now essentially sitting in second place behind the Premier League,” explained Rees.

While there is a strong media deal in place and a growing brand awareness, the German league understood establishing a presence on the ground was an essential next step in its growth.

“You can do certain things [from afar], especially in today’s time where everything digitally connected. You can do it from Frankfurt, but there is a last 10 percent that is really hard to replicate, and you need to be in-market. So for us, where we are now and with the amount of interest in us, it was the perfect moment to open this and give it now a major push,” said Rees.

[mc4wp_form id=”8260″]

Bayern Munich, the current league champion which opened an American office in the U.S. in 2013, is an example of what can be accomplished with through an on-the-ground presence.

“When they landed [in New York], they had eight fan clubs in North America, and three years later they have 136 or 137, roughly. That’s a huge increase,” explained Robert Klein, CEO of Bundesliga International. “They have built up the relationships socially and digitally. They have done really amazing things and they are telling their story 24/7.”

SEE MORE: RCD Espanyol’s Youth Academy Becomes a Model for US Soccer

Bayern has been working with the Bundesliga through this process and will continue to be a resource to its new neighbors in New York.

While Bayern is well-established domestically, other German clubs are lesser known. That being said, both Rees and Klein believe the clubs understand the value of the American market and intend for the Bundesliga’s new office to serve as a sort of coworking space for them as they pursue their individual objectives stateside.

Raising awareness is key. Tours for clubs, both big (like Borussia Dortmund) and small (like second division team FC St. Pauli), have proven to be a good experience, and the Bundesliga sees that as an instrumental part of boosting fans’ awareness. That being said, Rees made it clear that Bundesliga won’t take the same approach as Spain’s La Liga, which announced plans to bring a regular-season game to the states annually through a new deal with Relevent Sports.

“We’re not going to play a game here,” he emphasized.

Instead, the league intends to build fan relationships and lean into what makes the German league special. Lothar Matthäus, a Bundesliga legend, cites strong American players in the Bundesliga as one of these things, specifically emerging star Christian Pulisic.

“I think he can be one of the best players in the world,” Matthäus said. Having lived and played in Germany for the majority of his life, Matthäus knows the American soccer market as well, having briefly resided in New York years ago as a player for the MetroStars. He has seen firsthand growth the sport has made here.

“Twenty years ago, I was running in Central Park and I saw only American sports played and now when I cross Central Park, I see kids playing soccer,” he said.

[mc4wp_form id=”8260″]

Now is the right time to be here, and Bundesliga is excited for the opportunity to tell its story and share with soccer fans why it believes it is the best league in the world.

Among these things, Rees stresses, are affordable tickets compared to many of the other top leagues, full stadiums, community-owned clubs, and an overall fan-centric league, arguably the best fan experience in Europe, and, of course, fantastic football.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Aliyah Boston

Aliyah Boston Is Latest WNBA Player to Invest in NWSL Team

Boston joins a select group that includes Sabrina Ionescu.

Chelsea Wins $110M in FIFA’s Revamped $1B Club World Cup

Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final match.

Featured Today

May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.

UFC’s Vegas Sphere Fight Should Set Records

The MMA fight has big aspirations and a budget to match.
August 13, 2024

Duael’s One-On-One Racing Brackets Are Yet Another Stab at Saving Track

Duael will debut in March 2025 with the inaugural Duael 100.
September 8, 2024

Guardian Caps Make NFL Debut

Multiple NFL players wore Guardian Caps over their helmets Sunday.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
August 11, 2024

Guardian Caps Have Arrived in the NFL—Ahead of Schedule

Colts star Jonathan Taylor strapped one on for Sunday’s preseason game.
August 5, 2024

How Omega Timing Determined Noah Lyles Won Olympic Gold

Omega touches every corner of the Olympics.
The Adidas ball has changed over the years.
July 25, 2023

The Most Advanced Tech at the Women’s World Cup Might Surprise You

This year’s OCEAUNZ introduces connected ball technology to the women’s game.
Sponsored

Rewriting the Sports Media Playbook

WSC’s highlight automation improved Clemson’s content strategy and overall growth.