Study: FC Bayern brings the city and state €4.5 billion annually

The German football record champions contribute billions to the city of Munich and the Free State of Bavaria in economic benefits every year. The regional economic impact of FC Bayern totals €4.5 billion. These are the findings of a study conducted by management consultancy SLC Management on behalf of the club.

Dreesen: ‘A poster child for Munich and Bavaria’

“FC Bayern is much more than a football club – it’s a piece of home, a poster child for Munich and Bavaria,” said CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen. “Now we can also concretely show the economic added value we create for the city and the state. These numbers prove: our pulling power extends far beyond the sport – it creates jobs, wealth and worldwide visibility. Mia san mia doesn’t just mean success on the pitch, but also generating value for society.”

The publicity and advertising effects for the city and the state are said to amount to a total of €3.6 billion, accounting for the largest share. This figure refers in particular to national and international visibility in the media – both on the club's own platforms (including around 200 million social media followers) and on journalistic channels (television, newspapers, internet). This figure also refers to the amount the city would have to pay in advertising costs (for equivalent advertising measures) without FC Bayern.

Two examples from the study underscore the appeal of Germany's record champions. FC Bayern accounts for approximately 30 percent of all media coverage of the German Bundesliga. In addition, a representative survey conducted throughout Germany asked people what they associate with the city of Munich. FC Bayern came in first place with 60 percent, followed by the Allianz Arena in second place with 59 percent, FCB icon Franz Beckenbauer in tenth place (26.5%) and cultural assets such as the Oktoberfest and beer gardens in between.

Other factors besides the publicity and image effect include sales effects amounting to €256 million (e.g. through the commissioning of regional companies), investment effects of €40 million (e.g. investments in the expansion of the FC Bayern Campus), employment effects amounting to €223 million, and hotel and restaurant effects amounting to €198 million (e.g. consumption on matchdays at the stadium and in the city). Champions League matches in particular contribute to the hotel industry effect due to their international appeal and generate additional overnight stays and tourist activities. FC Bayern generates approximately 805,000 overnight stays in Munich each year, which corresponds to 4.3 percent of the total annual number of overnight stays in Munich.

“The economic dimension of professional football in Germany can’t be reduced to high player salaries,” said Prof. Dr. Alfons Madeja, managing director of SLC Management. “The social benefit, particularly for the respective state and region, is proven with some impressive numbers. This obviously applies in particular to FC Bayern Munich as the industry leader.”