Germany’s top soccer leagues are slowly but surely recovering from the effects of COVID.
The Deutsche Fußball Liga, the governing body of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, reported revenues of $4.86 billion for the 2021-22 season — a 10.5% increase from the season before.
It’s the first time the DFL has seen a revenue increase since the start of the pandemic, but it’s still lagging behind pre-pandemic numbers — the organization generated $5.21 billion in revenue in the 2018-19 season.
“In the light of these figures, it is possible to talk about a slight economic recovery, but it is not time to give the all-clear just yet, because the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 are still a long way off the pre-coronavirus level overall,” DFL executive committee speaker Hans-Joachim Watzke said.
The 18 Bundesliga clubs generated $3.92 billion — a 3.9% increase from the previous season, while Bundesliga 2 notched a league-record $941.6 million for the 2021-22 campaign.
The DFL chalks up many of the weakened figures to lingering effects from the pandemic.
- Due to in-person restrictions, match revenue — namely from ticket sales — reached just $436.1 million in 2021-22, as opposed to $705.1 million in 2018-19.
- The leagues are also dealing with slightly undervalued TV contracts that run through 2024-25 and average $1.19 billion per season, as opposed to $1.26 billion in previous seasons.
The organization also notes that it paid $1.52 billion in taxes for the most recent period.
