MUNICH/Nigeria: German women’s Bundesliga football clubs are still not making a profit but their income has risen by 40% between 2017-18 and the 2021-22 campaign, the governing body DFB said on Monday.
Presenting the annual report of the league, the DFB said that the 12 clubs generated record income of €17 million ($18.3 million).
More is expected from the current season where average attendance has risen from 806 per game to 3,000 – a boost generated by the Euro 2022 tournament where the German women reached the final. Television viewership is also on the rise with all 132 games broadcast for the first time in league history, and 29 of them on free TV.
“The league is already breaking all the records in the current 2022-23 season. These developments show the huge potential of the league,” said DFB vice-president Sabine Mammitzsch who is responsible for women’s football.
While all clubs are still making a deficit the DFB said the league was not in a dangerous economic situation and that the figures rather showed that clubs were ready to bolster their women’s teams.
“These expenditures clearly show that the clubs invest in their women’s teams out of conviction,” said Tobias Kittel, women’s football boss at the Wolfsburg club and head of the DFB women’s football commission.
“The positive development underlines that we are on the right track with regard to the desired professionalization of the entire league. More and more clubs are realizing the great potential of women’s football.”
