Borussia Dortmund Group – Revenue in EUR '000
Borussia Dortmund generated revenue of EUR 334,171 thousand in the 2020/2021 financial year, representing a decrease of EUR 36,025 thousand or 9.73%. Income from advertising and TV marketing increased year on year despite the severe restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. By contrast, income from match operations, merchandising, and conference, catering and miscellaneous decreased in financial year 2020/2021.
The performance of the individual revenue items is described in the following:
Income from match operations
Income from match operations decreased by EUR 31,956 thousand to EUR 554 thousand in financial year 2020/2021.
Income from match operations for domestic competitions declined by EUR 19,875 thousand to EUR 544 thousand.
While the 2019/2020 season had seen twelve home matches played to almost sell-out crowds at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, during the 2020/2021 season the national and regional restrictions put in place in response to COVID-19 meant fewer spectators were permitted in stadiums, and then only for the first Bundesliga fixtures. Of the 17 Bundesliga home matches hosted by Borussia Dortmund, only three (against Borussia Mönchengladbach, SC Freiburg and FC Schalke 04) were open to spectators, who were limited in number.
The income from domestic and international cup competitions decreased by EUR 10,648 thousand, and all of these matches were held behind closed doors.
Borussia Dortmund generated income of EUR 9 thousand from friendlies and proceeds generated by the club’s other teams in financial year 2020/2021 (previous year: EUR 1,442 thousand). Unlike in previous years, the pandemic prevented the squad from travelling to Asia or the United States for preseason tours.
Income from advertising
In the financial year ended, Borussia Dortmund increased its advertising revenue by 8.75% to EUR 106,577 thousand (previous year: EUR 98,005 thousand), representing a share of 31.89% of total revenue.
Advertising income increased despite the restrictions on hospitality services and match day advertising due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Borussia Dortmund hosted 24 home matches in the season ended, of which 21 were played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Against this backdrop, match-day advertising could not be compensated for fully and practically no advertising was shown in hospitality.
The increase was due primarily to the new agreements with the two primary sponsors Evonik Industries AG and 1&1 Telecommunication SE as well as with the equipment supplier Puma SE that were entered into on 1 July 2020. The holder of the stadium’s naming rights, SIGNAL IDUNA, the sleeve sponsor, Opel Automobile GmbH, and the ten Champion Partners continue to contribute greatly to income from advertising. Borussia Dortmund also added another sponsor for its youth programmes: adesso SE.
Furthermore, advertising income includes bonuses for the third-place Bundesliga finish, which directly qualified the team for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League in the 2021/2022 season, for reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League in financial year 2020/2021, for competing in the DFL Super Cup at the beginning of the past season, and for reaching the final and winning the DFB Cup.
Income from TV marketing
In financial year 2020/2021, income from TV marketing once again represented the highest share of revenue (55.86%) and increased by EUR 16,819 thousand year on year to EUR 186,655 thousand. TV marketing income from both domestic and international cup competitions rose. The income from TV broadcasts of Bundesliga matches remained virtually unchanged.
Income from domestic TV marketing amounted to EUR 97,826 thousand, up EUR 139 thousand against the prior-year reporting period.
Only 89.83% of the increase in distribution announced prior to the pandemic actually materialised at the end of the financial year. The payouts for the 2020/2021 season were made on the assumption that match operations would continue uninterrupted in 2020/2021, the season would come to an orderly close and the marketing partners would pay the budgeted amounts in full and on time. Since the distribution amount fluctuated in the 2020/2021 reporting period, DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH was ultimately forced to reduce the income with respect to the planned international TV marketing payouts.
Income from international TV marketing for competing in the UEFA Champions League amounted to EUR 78,698 thousand in the financial year (previous year: EUR 67,420 thousand). The increase of EUR 11,278 thousand is due to the higher performance bonus, since Borussia Dortmund amassed four wins and one draw in the group stage. In the previous year, Borussia Dortmund only managed three wins and one draw. In addition, Borussia Dortmund reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2017, although the team was knocked out of the competition following two defeats to Manchester City.
Unlike in the previous year, Borussia Dortmund failed to win the DFL Super Cup, its first competitive match of the current financial year. Borussia Dortmund reached the final of the DFB Cup, where the team chalked up a resounding victory against RB Leipzig in Berlin. Income from domestic cup competitions thus amounted to EUR 10,131 thousand (previous year: EUR 4,729 thousand).
Merchandising
Income from merchandising decreased by 1.96% to EUR 32,640 thousand in the past 2020/2021 financial year. In the previous year, EUR 33,292 thousand had been recognised for this item. The decrease in this revenue stream was only moderate despite the months-long closure of the fan shop in compliance with the statutory provisions put in place to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The highest revenue growth was recorded at the online shop in Germany, which many customers visited as an alternative to making purchases in person.
Conference, catering and miscellaneous income
Conference, catering and miscellaneous income amounted to EUR 7,745 thousand (previous year: EUR 36,553 thousand) and also included revenue from advance booking fees, rental and lease income and release fees for national team players.
Conference and catering income, which comprises income generated by the hospitality areas, public catering services and events, decreased by EUR 12,655 thousand from EUR 13,316 thousand in the previous year to EUR 661 thousand. The lack of spectators at 21 of 24 home matches and fewer customers at the first three Bundesliga home fixtures meant that only limited revenue was generated, both in public and hospitality catering. In addition, most private events outside of match operations such as private celebrations, corporate events or trade fairs were cancelled in the past financial year. Where permitted, stadium tours were restricted to a small number of visitors.
In the reporting period from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, advance booking fees, postage and miscellaneous income, which includes the Evonik Football Academy, rental and lease income and BVB TV, decreased by EUR 9,431 thousand to EUR 3,201 thousand. This was due primarily to the lack of advance booking fees due to the restrictions on spectators imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As well as the lack of advance booking fees for match day ticket sales, there was a shortfall in advance booking fees for season tickets after Borussia Dortmund decided as in the previous year that it would initially suspend season ticket sales at the end of the season given the inability to predict how the pandemic would develop. Likewise, the Football Academy was prevented from running courses (either national or international) for months. A further reason for the decline in income was the fact that this year’s DFL Super Cup was held in Munich. Moreover, unlike in the previous year, no (four-part) documentary series about Borussia Dortmund was marketed in the past financial year.
The release fees for national team players declined by EUR 443 thousand from EUR 2,711 thousand in the previous year to EUR 2,268 thousand.
Income from fees for players on loan and training compensation decreased by EUR 6,279 thousand year on year to EUR 1,615 thousand. This mainly related to the loans of the players Leonardo Balerdi to Olympique Marseille, Jeremy Toljan to U.S. Sassuolo and Sergio Gómez to SD Huesca.
The players Dženis Burnić, Jeremy Toljan, Ömer Toprak, André Schürrle and Marius Wolf had been loaned out in the previous year.
Net transfer income
Net transfer income declined by EUR 24,759 thousand to EUR 15,401 thousand.
Transfer proceeds amounted to EUR 24,406 thousand (previous year: EUR 116,688 thousand).
This resulted from the transfers of Jeremy Toljan to U.S. Sassuolo, Ömer Toprak to Werder Bremen and Dženis Burnić to 1. FC Heidenheim. Borussia Dortmund also generated subsequent transfer income. Furthermore, Mario Götze left to join PSV Eindhoven on a free transfer.
In the previous financial year, the players Maximilian Philipp transferred to FC Dynamo Moscow, Abdou Diallo to Paris Saint-Germain, Alexander Isak to Real Sociedad, Julian Weigl to Benfica Lisbon, Paco Alcácer to Villarreal CF, Jacob Bruun Larsen to TSG Hoffenheim, Sebastian Rode to Eintracht Frankfurt and Shinji Kagawa to Real Zaragoza. These transfers also generated subsequent transfer proceeds and loan fees.
The residual carrying amounts and transfer costs amounted to EUR 9,005 thousand (previous year: EUR 76,528 thousand).
Other operating income
Other operating income increased by EUR 1,182 thousand year on year to EUR 10,377 thousand. As in the previous year, this included primarily income from provisions, insurance reimbursements, unclaimed refunds, a reimbursement for granting contractual marketing rights, and subsidies. Other operating income includes prior-period income in the amount of EUR 2,608 thousand (previous year: EUR 5,033 thousand).