15.02.2018 – German professional football set another new record in the 2016-17 season. The revenue generated by the 36 Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs increased once again, breaking through the €4 billion barrier for the first time and representing the 13th record year in succession. At exactly €4.01 billion, revenue was up 4.2 percent on the 2015-16 season. At the presentation of the “2018 DFL Report”, DFL CEO Christian Seifert also reported total revenue of €3.37 billion for the Bundesliga alone, an increase of around four percent on 2015-16 (€3.24 billion) and three times higher than the figure recorded in 2003-04 (€1.09 billion). 14 of the 18 Bundesliga clubs generated revenue in excess of €100 million.

The total revenue generated by the 18 Bundesliga 2 clubs also increased once again. After €608.3 million in the 2015-16 season, a new record of €635.2 million was set in 2016-17, corresponding to growth of 4.4 percent.

The Bundesliga clubs also set a new record in terms of equity, which amounted to €1.31 billion; this represents an increase of 60 percent in the last three years alone. Once again, 34 of the 36 clubs recorded positive EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation). As in the 2015-16 season, 16 of the 18 Bundesliga clubs generated a positive result after taxes. At €150 million, the cumulative total was down on the record set in 2015-16 (€206 million) but considerably higher than the figures for 2013-14 and 2014-15.

The taxes and duties paid by the 36 clubs and limited companies again exceeded €1 billion. With a new record of €1.17 billion in the 2016-17 season, the cumulative payments by professional football to the state as well as social security and accident insurance over the past ten years since 2007-08 increased to €8.57 billion.

In 2016-17, the number of people employed directly or indirectly within professional football also increased further to 54,275. For the first time, the 36 clubs and their subsidiaries employed more than 20,000 people directly.

DFL Reports 2009 – 2017