By Ben McFadyean.
Attendance figures in the top two tiers of German football reached a record high in 2024/25, according to the DFL, the governing body of the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga.
In a statement released on Thursday, the DFL said that the number of tickets sold by the 36 professional clubs in the 2024/25 season reached a new record high. A total of 20,983,964 tickets were sold, and with an average of 34,288 tickets sold per game, professional football also set the highest average attendance figures ever.
However, it is not the Bundesliga but the second tier that is responsible for the bulk of the new record. According to the DFL, the upper house achieved total ticket sales of 11,653,239, with an average of 38,082 tickets per game. These figures are slightly lower than last year’s. The DFL cites the reason that last year’s promoted teams, FC St. Pauli and Holstein Kiel, do not have the same total stadium capacity as the relegated teams, FC Köln and SV Darmstadt 98.
Nevertheless, the average uptake in Bundesliga stadiums was 95.9%, slightly above the previous year’s level of 95.2%. Fifteen of the 18 clubs achieved a capacity utilisation of more than 90%.
In the 2. Bundesliga, total ticket sales were once again above the previous season’s record, 9,330,725 tickets were sold, which corresponds to an average of 30,493 tickets sold per game. This is a record figure in the history of the second division, with an increase of 6% compared to 2023/24.
The 2. The Bundesliga already set a new record during the past season. On match day 19, an average of 35,830 spectators flocked to the stadiums. A total of 322,468 spectators watched the nine matches at that time. This broke the record set on the 24th match day of the previous season, when an average of 33,983 spectators were counted. However, it is unlikely that this trend will continue in the new season due to the promotion of Cologne and Hamburg, both of which have very big fan bases.
“The new ticket record and the consistently high level of enthusiasm for the Bundesliga are impressive,” said DFL Managing Director Marc Lenz. “The attendance record in the 2nd Bundesliga underlines that our clubs are firmly established on a path to success”.
Lenz also emphasised the qualities that have attracted high numbers of international fans: “A variety of factors contribute to the record level, including the strong roots of the participating clubs, high stadium safety and ticket prices that are moderate by international standards,’
The average price of a ticket for a Bundesliga match, including VAT and free public transport, was €28.78, only slightly more than in the previous season (€28.30). In the 2. Bundesliga, the average was €24.70 (2023/24: €22.93).
The comparison with the Premier League and Championship, in particular, is favourable. According to a BBC survey, the average ticket price in 24/25 in the Premier League was €43 (£38), in the Championship, the average price was €35 (£33). Public transport is not included in the UK and can add on more than double to the cost of a stadium visit, depending on location.
The German top-tier prices also compare well when contrasted with Spain’s La Liga, where the average ticket price is €40 (£42). France’s Ligue 1, however, remains the cheapest, where average tickets were just €24.00 (£21) in the past season.
When it comes to season tickets the German league also ranks top, the average price of in 24/25 was £589 (€595). The average in 24/25 seated season ticket is €381 (£385), for a standing season ticket the price in Germany on average goes down to just €205.
When it comes to the top end however the contrast between the English and German top tiers is less marked with a season ticket on the Haupttribüne, which includes the VIP area, at BVB’s Westfalenstadion, for the coming season as much as €860 (£865) which is only £26 less than the £891 charged by one of the most expensive in the English top tier Arsenal.
The higher prices for season tickets at leading clubs in Germany, including Borussia Dortmund, however, have not put fans off. The waiting list for a season ticket at Germany’s biggest stadium has a current reported list of over 20,000 club members on it.
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