Bucks Go All-In on Giannis Era
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.
