Football – sports business congress: The Bundesliga is looking for its best future

It does not happen that often that decision -makers from Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and lawn ball sport Leipzig immediately agree. But if one does not help with the development of new target groups, then what was tried out for the 2017 DFB Cup final: to let Helene Fischer sing during the break. A half -time show as a own goal. Downhill from the audience. And so Bayern’s CFO Michael Diederich, Dortmund’s managing director Carsten Kramer and Leipzig colleague Johann Plenge asserted these days at the Spobis sports business congress in Hamburg that other laws of marketing continue to apply at the cup final than with the Super Bowl, which is increasing again this Sunday.

Monetary footprint

German football is not American football. Nevertheless: The US market is the one that the Bundesliga clubs have to better deal with. Donald Trump or not. Diederich made it clear that with the club World Cup this summer, then with the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico there is a unique chance to leave a monetary footprint there. Motto: “It’s now or never!” Now or never. In the case of stagnant national proceeds, international marketing for future growth is fundamental. But even for the record champion, it is not enough to just open one office in New York. “This is hard Kärrner work!”

Last summer, RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt were traveling in the USA, Dortmund and Bavaria in Asia – the rest mostly prepared in the idyllic Alpine panorama. It could not be that the Premier League in the United States regularly organized tournaments, Kramer criticized, “and we don’t even get three clubs there”. Everyone would have to try to increase the proceeds abroad of only 200 million euros so far.

Disinterest in growing

The German Football League (DFL) has concluded a contract with the relevant Sports Group to get marketing in North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. While six relevant managers came to Frankfurt to present themselves at a workshop, only nine club managers were present there-13 clubs were completely missing. A detail that illustrates the lack of interest.

Kramer held the league at the event with more than 4000 sports business guests: one was no longer at eye level as far as the level of the Premier League and the Champions League were concerned. Sporty and economical. The fact that only Bayer Leverkusen has reached the round class’s round of 16 directly, of all things, the Bavarians playing at the club World Cup and Dortmund’s extra rounds in the playoffs are alarm signs. Dortmund’s marketing expert therefore stimulated “more openness” for changes at all levels. The introduction of the league in the European Cup competitions showed that not every reform means a revolution.

More of everything

In this context, Plenge recalled the vest with an integrated camera that Leipzig’s player Kevin Kampl had carried out in a game against Aston Villa on the US tour. “Fantastic pictures came out.” The side view of the NBA or NFL could not hurt to pick up young generations. Formula 1 also demonstrates what is possible with drones and radio devices. But is a bodycam in the Bundesliga enforceable? DFL managing director Steffen Merkel can imagine something like this: “We need more access, more interviews, we have to make the product more interesting.” An interview after the bus arrival at the stadium will be mandatory in the future. And soon the Bundesliga wants to choose a “Player of the Match” after each game. All responsible persons can still agree on such measures – but otherwise an imaginary dividing line goes through German professional football.

Especially in the 2nd Bundesliga, grumbling is great after the DFL Presidium has almost unchanged the distribution key for media revenue. Matthias Tillmann, CEO of FC Schalke 04, complained: »We are not satisfied with the result. What I lack personally is a vision, a strategy: Where do we all want to go with the league? ”Alexander Jobst as CEO of Fortuna Düsseldorf warned of a growing gap. Because: “The unrestricted growth is over – that is crystal clear for me.” Limits are also reached in sponsorship or ticketing.

Strategic debates

Axel Hellmann, CEO of Eintracht Frankfurt, sees himself as a bridge builder between the 36 license associations. Not only Prussia Münster and Bayern Munich pursue other intentions, but Eintracht Frankfurt would have other interests than 1. FC Heidenheim. “We have to face the strategic debate because we try to solve problems through the back door through the distribution discussion, which we would have to approach in advance.”

Everything should come on the table at a DFL examination at the end of March. Hellmann: “We will look deep into our eyes: Where do we end up in four years?” His advice: “First of all, the cake has to get bigger before we cut the pieces. We need more entrepreneurial legroom. “When it comes to the recent rights of rights with the competing providers DAZN and Sky,” you could get away with a blue eye “. But one would not have had an alternative plan: “That shouldn’t happen to us again.” Hellmann can imagine offering Bundesliga football on a platform. But whether it can be generated several revenues? Even Merkel did not (yet) record this proposal.

Michael Ströll, Managing Director of FC Augsburg, recommended a completely different perspective – namely away from turbo capitalism: »The past few years, for decades we have ran after the money. Where does it end? Rarely in sustainability, but in most cases with players, consultants and transfers. «You have to break through this vicious circle. His tip: “We have to be smarter than others.” In addition, it is a big mistake for the Bundesliga to still make up the Premier League: “We will never catch up with them.” Whether with or without Helene Fischer.