German Bundesliga sees double-digit growth to match success

The Bundesliga posted record turnover of €2.45 billion euros for 2013/14, up by more than 12 per cent, marking uninterrupted growth for the 10th straight season, the German football league (DFL) said on Thursday.

Turnover was up from €2.17 billion euros in 2012/13 and has more than doubled from a decade ago when it stood at just over one billion.

"German professional football has used its solid financial foundation well in the past years to make an outstanding sporting development," DFL CEO Christian Seifert said.

“The outlook is positive because financial growth is uninterrupted.”

It still, however, trails Spain's La Liga and the English Premier League in financial terms.

Media revenues were sharply up by almost €100 million to €716 million while advertising revenues jumped to €640 million, up from €578 million the previous season.

Germany’s second division also posted a record turnover of €458 million euros, an increase of almost 10 per cent from 2012/13, the DFL said.

Reigning league champions Bayern Munich have appeared in three of the past five Champions League finals, winning the competition in 2013 when they faced fellow Bundesliga team Borussia Dortmund. Germany of course won the World Cup last summer with a vast majority of their squad playing in their national league.