The Bundesliga's economic clout

Each season the Bundesliga keeps millions of German football fans enthralled, and a recent study has shown it also fuels the German job market. According to consultants McKinsey, the professional soccer league now employs 110,000 people in Germany on a full-time basis. When compared with DAX 30 companies, this could rank the Bundesliga as the fourth largest private employer.

"German football has not only developed in an outstanding way from a sporting point of view, but also economically", Thomas Netzer, author of the report and director in McKinsey's Cologne office, told the DPA news agency.

Looking at data from the 2013/14 season, the Bundesliga has grown enormously. The season was valued at 7.9 billion euros ($8.8 billion), an increase of over 50 percent compared with an earlier study conducted five years ago. The Bundesliga, however, still plays in a much smaller league than companies in key sectors such as manufacturing and carmaking. The 56 clubs of the three professional leagues only made up around 0.3 percent of Germany's gross domestic product (GDP) for 2014.

But professional football has grown faster than most German sectors. With an annual growth rate of 6.1 percent, it left automotive engineering, IT services and even GDP itself behind. "The sector has established itself as a true engine of growth", said Netzer.

Not tapping its full potential

Fans and the public sector have profited from the increased revenues. The German Football League (DFL) generates 2.3 billion euros in taxes and social insurance annually, which includes public spending for example on security measures and support for public transport on match days.

The Bundesliga's chances of becoming an economic champion are limited, however, as there is little potential for expansion in its current form. The three leagues are limited to 600 games, which translate into 900 hours of playing.

Ticketing and sponsoring are boosting business, but they are reaching their limit. Stadiums used for Bundesliga matches are usually 90-percent full , five percentage points less than in the English Premier League.

According to Netzer, further growth of 35 percent could be achieved by 2020, for example through merchandising, TV rights and sponsoring. Other options such as raising ticket prices however would be made at the expense of the Bundesliga's biggest engine, its fan base.