2024 Sports Attendance Review – Germany Edition

Professional sports in Germany attracted more fans than ever before in 2024; a trend not limited to just football. From July 2023 to June 2024, professional sports saw a record-breaking 47.5 million fans attend arenas, stadiums, courts and tracks around the country, an increase of 29% over the past six years. The rise is thanks to a number of key factors, with several major events providing significant growth, according to an extensive analysis conducted by Two Circles.

• Men’s Football at the top: German men’s football remains the most attended sport in the country by far. It is also a key driver of the overall attendance figures, with the top three professional leagues alone accounting for 46% of the growth since 2017/18.
• Women’s Football Growth: Increased interest, improved media presence, and advancing professionalism have led to a more than threefold increase in attendance for the Women’s Bundesliga.
• Growth across Sports: In addition to football, sports such as handball, basketball, ice hockey, and American football contribute significantly to the increase in attendance.
• Multi-Sport events as crowd magnets: Events that bundle sports, such as “The Finals” (210,000 spectators), have proven to be effective in creating high-attendance events and enhancing the broader appeal of these sports.
• Germany as an expansion target: Events such as NFL games and Oktagon MMA events not only sell out arenas in Germany but also underline the importance of the German market for international sports rights holders.
• Motorsports in Germany: Despite struggling with limited media coverage, motorsports in Germany attracted 1.4 million fans to the racetracks, contributing 3% to overall attendance figures.

Attendance in German professional sports has reached a new peak, with 47.5 million people attending professional sports events in Germany during the 2023/2024 season. This record-breaking figure demonstrates that the sector has not only recovered from the effects of the pandemic but is also continuing a growth trajectory. The data was compiled by Two Circles, an international leader in data-driven sports marketing.

Attendance in professional sports has increased by 29% since the 2017/18 season. In many disciplines, figures are also significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. The UEFA European Championship 2024 and the EHF European Handball Championship 2024, which together attracted over 3.5 million spectators, were key contributors to this growth. However, even without these major events, there is still 19% growth over the past six years.

Men’s football remains the leading growth driver, but other sports have also shown significant rises, including popular disciplines such as handball, basketball, ice hockey, tennis, and women’s football, as well as emerging sports such as table tennis, MMA, and hockey. New offerings like the NFL are also gaining traction in Germany. And even without Formula 1, motorsports in Germany continues to attract large crowds, with over 230,000 spectators attending the MotoGP at the Sachsenring.

“The development of the attendance figures in German sports demonstrates the enduring passion of the German population for sports and highlights the immense potential in ticketing and beyond. Advancing the popularity and professionalism of all sports remains a key opportunity for domestic sports rights holders,” said Lars Stegelmann, Director of Marketing & Consultancy at Two Circles.

The COVID-19 crisis posed significant challenges for the sports industry, such as restrictions on live event access from 2020 to 2022. However, this did not dampen enthusiasm for sports. Despite rising living costs and current spending hesitancy, German fans’ passion for live sports events remains undiminished. This trend mirrors developments in other European countries, where – for example – the UK has experienced attendance growth of 27% over the past decade.

Read the UK’s 2024 Sports Attendance Review here.

Football dominates, while other sports see growth

As in the UK and France, men’s football remains the most popular sport in Germany, accounting for around 65% of total attendance figures in the 2023/24 season. The English Premier League recorded slightly higher stadium attendance figures, with over 14 million spectators compared to the German Bundesliga’s 12 million.

Thanks to its unwavering popularity and numerous matches, the three German professional football leagues combined have contributed three million additional attendees since 2017/18. While, the Bundesliga has seen a decline in attendance (-13%), this is largely due to the relegation of popular clubs with large stadiums, such as Hamburger SV, Schalke 04 and Hertha BSC. From the 2022/23 to the 2023/24 season alone, average attendance in the 2nd Bundesliga increased by 30%.

The popularity of other top leagues is reflected in comparatively high attendance figures in basketball, handball, and ice hockey. These sports benefit from comprehensive league structures with numerous matches, similar to football. The German Ice Hockey League (DEL) and Handball Bundesliga (HBL) set new attendance records in the 2023/24 season. “The high-quality, thrilling competition, excellent work by local clubs, and modern presentation through our media partner MagentaSport have been key factors in the PENNY DEL’s success in recent years,” said Gernot Tripcke, Managing Director of the German Ice Hockey League (DEL).

Major Events as Catalysts for Long-Term Growth

In recent years, Germany has proven itself as an outstanding host of international sports events. The Handball European Championship 2024 in Germany achieved a record-breaking attendance of over one million spectators, the highest in the history of the European Handball Federation.

The Handball Bundesliga recorded approximately 1.6 million fans during the 2023/24 season, with an average of 5,217 spectators per game, a 7% increase compared to the previous season. “Annual major events have a positive impact on arena occupancy rates in the Daikin HBL and the 2nd HBL, particularly in the weeks following the start of the second half of the season. However, the clubs’ overall performance and media presence across various channels have an even greater influence,” noted Frank Bohmann, Managing Director of the Handball Bundesliga.

Beyond high attendance figures, the German Handball Federation (DHB) also experienced a surge on its digital platforms thanks to the European Championship. The German Handball Federation’s Instagram followers increased by an above-average rate of 23% from January to February 2024.

For HBL clubs and other rights holders, the challenge now lies in maintaining and building on this interest. With current arena occupancy rates at 84%, there is further growth potential for the HBL clubs, as well as for the BBL (Basketball Bundesliga) and DEL (German Ice Hockey League), whose occupancy rates are at similar levels.

The DEL has also reported positive attendance figures, setting a new record in the past season. The 2027 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, to be held in Germany, is expected to further boost the popularity of ice hockey. “Together with all stakeholders, including the German Ice Hockey Federation, we are working intensively to nurture our loyal fan base and identify new opportunities. Hosting the World Championship in our own country provides a unique opportunity to attract new fans to ice hockey,” said Gernot Tripcke, Managing Director the German Ice Hockey League (DEL).

The success of these leagues is not solely due to the enthusiasm for sports but also to consistent improvements in the event experience and enhanced fan engagement. Additionally, more club home games as part of events such as the UEFA Champions League are driving attendance at German venues.

In the next two years, Germany will host further major sporting events. To ensure these events are commercially successful for organisers, associations and clubs, early preparation is essential. This includes developing thoughtful ticketing strategies and additional marketing measures to engage new audiences, enhance interactions, and drive revenue growth in the long term.

We are also seeing the economic impacts of major sports events on host countries and cities. The UEFA Euro 2024, for instance, had a proven positive economic, media, and social effect on all ten host cities and Germany as a whole, while UEFA reported a total impact valued at approximately €7.4 billion. A significant portion of this came from international visitors, with 44% of attendees coming from abroad, 97% of whom expressed an intention to visit Germany again.

A comprehensive event impact analysis is a crucial tool for demonstrating the value of an event from various perspectives, informing decisions, and developing long-term strategies for future events. Event organisers often face internal and external pressure to prove the success of an event, and a thorough analysis of results can objectively validate its impact.

Recognising the positive effects on the development of sports and the perception of host nations, German associations are consistently bidding to host more events. For example, the German government and the DOSB are aiming to host the 2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games, while the DFB is currently bidding for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2029.

“A sustainable event strategy should be developed and presented early in the selection process for host countries. Combining ideas for optimal fan engagement, infrastructural sustainability, and targeted marketing measures provides rights holders with strong arguments during the bidding process,” explained Lars Stegelmann.

Women’s Football: A sector with strong growth potential

Hosting a Women’s Football European Championship in Germany would provide further momentum for women’s football in the country. With approximately 380,000 spectators in the 2023/24 season, the Women’s Bundesliga set a new attendance record, surpassing the previous season by 6%. This increase followed success at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, where Germany reached the final. While the league previously attracted just over 100,000 spectators per season, it recorded a more than threefold increase in attendance for the first time in the 2022/23 season. Across Europe, the Women’s Bundesliga ranks second in attendance figures, behind England’s WSL League.

The surge in attendance is driven by sporting success, enhanced media presence, the ongoing professionalisation of the league, and the organisation of highlight matches in larger stadiums. For example, the 1. FC Cologne set a new benchmark with 38,365 fans attending their match against Eintracht Frankfurt at the Rhein-Energie-Stadion. A similar attendance is expected for the FC women’s match against Bayern Munich in March 2025. Despite their current position in the lower third of the league table, the Cologne women’s team attracts numerous fans, marketing big games with an appealing event programme, including live music performances. With ticket prices from 7 Euros, they make sure to keep the prices accessible.

The UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, to be held in Switzerland, is also expected to provide a further boost to women’s football across Europe, including the German league. “The Women’s Bundesliga still has great potential to further increase the number of stadium attendees. It is a realistic goal to double the current average attendance per match over the next five years to around 6.000 attendees, getting closer to the top three most-attended German sports leagues – of course, this is not possible without the constant investment of the league organization and the participating clubs,” said Bettina Baer, Client Services Director and women’s football expert at Two Circles.

Outlook: Potential for further growth in the German sports market

The continuous professionalisation and upcoming international sporting events, such as the 2027 Ice Hockey World Championship, the Women’s and Men’s Handball World Championships, and the 2025 Beach Volleyball European Championship in Germany, are further evidence of the strong growth potential in the German sports market. These events not only drive overall attendance figures in German sport, but also offer economic opportunities and increased media presence for these sports.

Germany remains a significant sports market that, through its excellent hosting capabilities for major events and the ongoing professionalisation of its sports, continues to gain international importance. However, it is up to clubs and associations to secure long-term fan engagement with innovative approaches in order to further promote ticketing as a key economic pillar of the sports business.

Lars Stegelmann, Director of Marketing & Consultancy at Two Circles, explains: “The ticketing business is a vital economic pillar of the sports industry. A detailed analysis of attendance figures highlights ongoing successes not only in the top leagues but also across many other sports. However, not all sports events are growing at the same rate. Fan growth is the foundation for continuously rising attendance figures. In the coming years, it will be important for sports rights holders to develop a profitable pricing strategy that maximises revenue while maintaining accessibility for fans and captivating them with engaging live experiences.

“A data-driven approach that places the fan at the centre will be the key to success.”

Methodology: Two Circles provides the most comprehensive analysis of attendance figures in German professional sports. The analysis covers all leagues and events with professional structures that took place in Germany during the respective years, including home games as part of international competitions, European and World Championships, or other one-off major events within the study period.