Overview

• The league reports robust popularity and scale, with nearly 12 million tickets sold and €5.87 billion in revenue last season, alongside claims of supporting about 62,000 jobs and €1.7 billion in tax and social contributions.
• Eintracht Frankfurt’s Axel Hellmann has suggested staging a future Club World Cup in Germany, a move publicly backed by Dortmund’s Aki Watzke as clubs seek fresh income streams.
• Financial disparity with England persists, with Premier League TV income exceeding €4 billion per season—roughly four times the Bundesliga’s—feeding a transfer arms race German clubs struggle to match.
• German football is increasingly cast as a talent exporter, highlighted by high-profile exits such as Florian Wirtz to Liverpool and earlier departures of stars who used the Bundesliga as a springboard.
• Commercial growth continues to clash with ethical concerns, from Schalke’s past Gazprom deal to Bayern’s shift from Qatar Airways to Emirates, while active fan groups press clubs on health, inclusivity and sponsorship standards, and Thomas Müller’s move to Vancouver is seen as a symbolic loss.