Forewords from the DFL CEOs

Dear readers,

Welcome to the digital version of our DFL business report. After more than 20 years, this is the first time that we have prepared the balance sheets of German professional football comprehensively and exclusively online. On this platform, you will be guided through all the relevant key figures, but you can also browse the site yourself, discover new things or search specifically for what interests you.

With the Economic Report, the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, the umbrella organisation of the 36 Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs, takes stock of each season. The 2023-24 season has now been in the books for several months and the new season is in full swing. However, due to the different financial year cycles – many clubs report from July 1 to June 30 of the following year (i.e. by season), while others report by calendar year – the DFL Economic Report is traditionally published with a certain delay. These figures therefore relate back to the 2023-24 season.

It is important for us to note that the facts and figures do not primarily highlight the DFL’s track record. These are the cumulative figures of the 36 clubs – from the clubs promoted to the second division all the way up to the record champions. The balance sheets are correspondingly diverse when you look at the details.

Nevertheless, the overall picture of German professional football is one that was also characterised by positive trends over the past season. For the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, all 18 Bundesliga clubs reported positive equity again. The same applies to 14 of the 18 second division clubs. The clubs are generating transfer surpluses and financing themselves from a balanced mix of income. In terms of expenditure, a further reduction in the proportion of squad costs is remarkable, especially in an international comparison. If the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 are considered together, this proportion is 34 per cent, which is lower than ever before. In the other four top European leagues (England, Spain, Italy, France), club squad costs account for between 50 per cent and 70 per cent of total expenditure.

With renewed sales growth and a rational use of funds, the clubs have consolidated and strengthened their position at all key levels

• As companies with a total turnover of €5.87 billion
• As an employer that employs almost 62,000 people
• As taxpayers who pay €1.66 billion into the public purse
• As social institutions that take responsibility in their region and give something back from the trust, support and loyalty of their fans
• And last but not least, as the creator of great emotions and unforgettable moments that gather more people than ever before in the stadiums and in front of the television.

These dimensions of professional football do not contradict each other, but belong together – indeed, they are mutually dependent. Only economically stable clubs create a lasting presence and long-term sporting success. Only socially anchored clubs reach millions of fans. Only clubs that inspire and move can fulfil their role as an emotional home and community of values. And only clubs that combine all of this are on a sound economic footing.

Central marketing is an important basis for economic stability. On average, almost every third euro generated by the clubs comes from this. At this point, the available figures are also figures from the DFL – which is responsible for the central marketing of the 36 clubs. Above all, however, we see it as our task to help shape the positive and future-proof framework in which our clubs operate both in sporting and economic terms.

In view of the international competitive situation, there are numerous challenges here. The fact that German clubs operate rationally and deliberately limit the potential influence of external investors with the 50+1 rule and corresponding club structures should not be a competitive disadvantage. We are therefore called upon to find our own creative ways to achieve sustainable growth – and at the same time to ensure fair and transparent competitive conditions with our partners in European football. These are also dimensions that do not contradict each other, but belong together.

Over the course of the 2023-24 season, the clubs achieved a lot in a challenging environment, as the DFL Economic Report shows. And we are confident that this will remain the case in the coming years.

Yours sincerely,