Development of Attendance Figures

Club officials like to point out Eden-like conditions on the revenue-side especially in the English Premier League. The annual turnover (but nowadays also the liabilities) reach numbers German clubs can only dream about. Despite that, the German football is in an absolutely comfortable position. The comparison of the average attendance figures shows this clearly:

Source: www.Weltfußball.de



The German stadiums are packed and the fans provide an atmosphere rarely found across Europe. The development in England might seem strange, considering the exorbitant prices for season tickets in the EPL. The slight downside trend visible, is not as strong as one would expect with these kind of ticket prices. But you have to take into account, that these numbers are just an average of all 10 games of the 38 match-days. A reduction from 36.076 in season 2007/2008 to 34.151 fans in season 2009/2010 means a total of 731.500 spectators less. This number should be a warning to all managers of clubs listed in the DFL.

Maybe it is impossible to gain as much revenue from pay TV in Germany as in England. It has been tried by many to make pay TV profitable in Germany but so far nobody has succeeded. So the spectator that goes to see live matches in the stadiums of the Bundesliga has a greater “market power” than fans in any other European league. Proof for that is a comparison of the revenue created with jersey sponsoring throughout Europe

The high attendance figures in Bundesliga make the clubs interesting for sponsors and therefore create higher revenue in this area than in other big European football leagues.

It has to be the best interest of the clubs to keep attendance figures as high as possible to enhance their attractiveness to sponsors. If a change of trend would be risked by overpriced tickets, that keep faithful spectators away, the clubs could cut into their own profits, because sponsors would gain less attention with their adverts. For us fans this means, we must not make us smaller than we are. We do have the right and also the power to fight for our own interests. Not only on match-days there is a symbiosis between club and fans and none of them can do without the other.

If the clubs do recognise this and won´t just come up with the usual lip service about “the 12th man” it only takes a long term view and stamina and no manager of a Bundesliga will have to take an envious look towards any other league.