Bundesliga logs record profit
January 28, 2014
The top-flight German football league secured record turnover of 2.17 billion euros ($2.96 billion) during the 2012-2013 season, the German Football League (DFL) announced Tuesday.
Last season's turnover figures meant growth of 4.4 percent over the previous year, when the league topped the 2 billion euro mark for the first time. It is the ninth-straight season the Bundesliga has posted record takings.
DFL Chief Executive Christian Seifert added the Bundesliga clubs also logged record operational profits of 383.5 million euros.
Record earnings, record taxes
"The Bundesliga is succeeding in the split between top level sports performance and economic rationality, especially compared to others in Europe," Seifert said.
"Thanks also to the further increases with the media contracts that take effect this season, the league is on the road to extending its position as the second-strongest earning football league in Europe behind the English Premier League," he added.
The increase of media money ensured it was the biggest revenue stream, with its 28.53 percent of the pie taking it past advertising. Advertising revenue also grew, however, as did merchandising.
Still No.1 for attendance despite drop
While the Bundesliga saw a drop of an average of 2,000 spectators per match, it still remains the world's best attended competition.
"This had mainly to do with the makeup of the league and with seven clubs playing in stadiums with a capacity of under 30,000 seats," DFL President Reinhard Rauball said via release.
The success of the Bundesliga also meant good news for the state, as it received a record amount of 850 million euros in tax revenues from the clubs.
hg, ph/dr (dpa, SID, Reuters)