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Together with Two Circles, an international sports marketing agency, the Deutsche Fußball-Bund (DFB) have published a study titled “New Perspectives – The Economic Future of the Frauen Bundesliga.” The results of the study take a closer look at the current status of women’s football, with a focus on the FLYERALARM Frauen Bundesliga. The study, which was supported by the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and clubs from the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, aims at providing relevant stakeholders such as clubs from the FLYERALARM Frauen Bundesliga and decision-makers in the world of sports business with a factual foundation on which to base their decisions in order to play a part in shaping the future of women’s football in Germany in a targeted and sustainable manner.
Following the success of the UEFA Women’s EUROs in summer 2022 in which Germany finished as runners-up, women’s football in the country has moved further into the public eye. The aim now is to use this increased interest and enthusiasm to ensure that women’s football is able to sustainably profit from this development. The study is based on qualitative research in the form of stakeholder interviews with club representatives, in addition to interviews with experts from the media and sponsorship sectors. A representative market research study was done in order to find out more about the attitudes and consumer behaviours of the German population in regards to football, and women’s football in particular. The study was designed to provide a comprehensive view of the topic, given the inclusion of all the relevant stakeholders in the world of women’s football.
The results of the study demonstrate the potential for growth strategies on the part of the participating clubs, as well as the league as a whole. With the help of data-driven results, it is possible to come up with various scenarios on how to create strategic investment opportunities for relevant stakeholders in women’s football.
Key stats/ main findings:
- TARGET MARKET POTENTIAL (based on the market research): Nearly half of those interested in football in Germany said they follow both men’s and women’s football. This encompasses a total of 19 million fans who demonstrate a high level of interest in and awareness of women’s football.
- MARKET GROWTH (based on the study model): Based on a best-case scenario (16 clubs), the total commercial value of the Frauen Bundesliga in the 2031/32 season could stand at €130 million, when factoring in the combined revenue from sponsorships, media rights, matchdays and other revenue streams.
- SPECTATOR POTENTIAL (based on the study model): Under a best-case scenario, the Frauen Bundesliga could see an average attendance of 7,500 fans per game in the 2031/32 season.
- TV RATINGS (based on the study model): The best-case scenario would see a five-fold increase in the average number of live viewers of the Frauen Bundesliga by the 2031/32 season (2021/22: 150,000 vs. 2031/32: 750,000).
- INVESTMENT FROM THE CLUBS (based on the interviews): 33% of the clubs interviewed as part of the study estimated their investment in women’s football as ‘high’ in five years’ time, compared to 18% currently. An increase in visibility for the women’s teams was listed as the top priority of those interviewed.
“Thanks to the European Championships, we have been able to witness an incredible rise in visibility for women’s football. Nevertheless, we now need to continue to build on this in a sustainable manner in order to create the right conditions to ensure continued success in women’s football,” said Dr. Holger Blask, managing director of marketing, sales and events of the DFB GmbH & Co. KG. “Following on from the success of 2022, this study provides a factual foundation for decision-makers on how to invest in the future of ‘women’s football’ with an enthusiastic partner like the DFB at their sides. We are looking forward to advancing the future of women’s football, together with the clubs and all additional parties involved.”
The study is seen as a concrete step towards helping to advance the goals the DFB set out in its “Women in Football FF27” strategy. The main goals of the strategy are to generate a significant increase in visibility, achieve success on the pitch and excite more women and girls to get involved in football.
Foundation on which to build on together with the clubs
Doris Fitschen, co-ordinator of the ‘Women in Football’ report and responsible for the FF27 strategy, said: “The professionalisation of the Frauen Bundesliga is one of the main themes in the FF27 strategy and plays a big role in the growth of women’s football in Germany. The results and recommendations from this study form an important foundation upon which we can initiate further action, together with the clubs. The investment of professional clubs in women’s football plays an important role here. The study proves this type of investment isn’t only worthwhile to make a socio-political statement, because the economic potential is there in the medium-term.”
Christian Pohlers-Saß, administrative director of women’s football at VfL Wolfsburg, said: “We consider ourselves lucky that our club partners hold the women’s team in such high regard and invest in them.”
“The UEFA Women’s EUROs this year have given the sport a new level of visibility. There are clear signs within the market that the top women’s football leagues in Europe and the UEFA Women’s Champions League will see a sharp rise in growth due to more lucrative media and sponsoring agreements, as well as a rise in ticketing revenues,” said Bettina Baer, lead consultant and women’s football expert at Two Circles. “In order to use this rise in interest to generate commercial growth within the Frauen Bundesliga, we now need to work together to implement targeted and long-term measures.”
