Germany reap EURO 2024 rewards: Study

Article posted by Coliseum, September 4^th, 2024

Image: Deutscher Fussball Bund

According to a comprehensive study conducted by Nielsen Sports, the world’s leading provider of audience and fan data for sporting events, the economic benefit of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) EURO 2024 – held from June 14^th-July 14^th – for Germany and the 10 Host Cities amounts to 7.44 billion euros.

‘DEUTSCHER FUSSBALL-BUND’ stated that more than 90 percent of this amount came from the 2.7 million ticket holders (44 percent from abroad), the organizer and the accredited persons as well as the resulting indirect and other economic effects.

New York (US)-based Nielsen Sports is the global leader in sponsorship analytics and fan intelligence. It provides the brands and the rights holders the knowledge to identify and connect with the audiences that matter the most to them. Nielsen Sports is also the leading source of sports measurement and analytics around the world with solutions spanning cross-platform media valuation, fan insights and digital and social analysis. Only Nielsen provides a comprehensive, fair playing field for the business of media. Its unbiased metrics create the shared understanding of the industry required for the markets to function.

Nyon (Switzerland)-based the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach football in Europe and the transcontinental countries of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan, as well as the West Asian countries of Cyprus, Armenia and Israel. The UEFA consists of 55 national association members. Since 2022, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the FIFA and the UEFA suspended all Russian national teams and clubs from any FIFA and UEFA competitions.

The 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA EURO 2024 or simply EURO 2024, was the 17^th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international football championship organized by the UEFA for the European men’s national teams of their member associations. Germany hosted the tournament which took place from June 14^th-July 14^th, 2024. The tournament involved 24 teams with Georgia making their European Championship debut. The Spain national football team was the UEFA EURO 2024 champion.

‘DEUTSCHER FUSSBALL-BUND’ further stated that the majority of the expenditure was on accommodation, travel to and from the Host Cities, as well as food and drinks outside and inside the stadiums. The study also found that almost two-thirds of the ticket holders used public transport in the Host Cities.

Through their presence and visibility in the media worldwide, a total advertising value of 571 million euros was generated for the Host Cities and the host country.

‘Extraordinary Tournament’

Averred Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA President, “The UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany was an extraordinary tournament and an unforgettable experience for all of us. The football fixtures played were great, the fans were happy and – as the above study clearly shows – the tournament had great economic and social benefits for the host country. This shows that the major sporting events are not only a win-win for everyone in football but for the society as a whole. Football brings people together – in keeping with our motto ‘United by Football. United in the Heart of Europe’. We can already look forward to UEFA EURO 2028 in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland and UEFA EURO 2032 in Italy and Turkey.”

Explained Bernd Neuendorf, President of the German Football Association (DFB), “The study impressively demonstrates that the UEFA EURO 2024 has had major economic benefits for the 10 Host Cities and the entire country. The tournament not only gave us great games and a fantastic atmosphere in the stadiums but it was also a success from an economic and social point of view. Thirty-six (36) years after EURO 1988 and 34 years after peaceful reunification, Germany has proven itself as a football-loving country, a friendly host and, last but not the least, a reliable partner for the organisation of major sporting events.”

The German Football Association (DFB) is the governing body of football, futsal and beach soccer in Germany. A founding member of the FIFA and UEFA, the DFB has jurisdiction for the German football league system and is in charge of the men’s and women’s national teams. The DFB headquarters are in Frankfurt am Main.

Noted Nancy Faeser, Federal Minister of the Interior and Home Affairs, Germany, “We have truly made the European Football Championship our ‘home game in Europe’ and a Summer of Sport in the heart of Europe. The results of the study are very encouraging, a total added value of 7.4 billion euros in Germany exceeds the expectations of hosting the tournament in Germany. I am particularly pleased that these economic, social and media effects of the tournament have also reached the Cities directly. Without the great organization and the passionate commitment of the Host Cities, this tournament would not have been possible.”

Fan Data

2.7 million fans watch 51 European Championship matches

The conclusions of the study show the positive impact of the tournament in various areas:

The 51 matches were attended by 2.7 million spectators of which 1.7 million were ticket holders who went to one or more games;
On an average, 23 percent of the ticket holders came from the Host Cities, 33 percent from the rest of Germany and 44 percent from abroad;
Ninety-seven (97) percent of international ticket holders said they would like to come back to Germany. On an average, 79 percent of the ticket holders recommend visiting the City in which they attended a game;
Seventy-eight (78) percent of all ticket holders rated the UEFA EURO 2024 positively indicating positive associations with the Host Cities and the host country;
Eighty-five (85) percent of the residents of the Host Cities said they were proud that their City hosted the European Championship matches;
Seventy-three (73) percent said that EURO 2024 had made a positive contribution to the common good and cohesion in the Host Cities; and
Over a quarter of the population said that the finals inspired them and that they exercised two hours more than before.

Sustainability Core

Since the bid to host EURO 2024, the UEFA and the DFB have accorded topmost priority to sustainability. Sustainability concepts were included in the bid and incorporated into an ESG (environmental, social, governance) strategy for the tournament which was supported by the targeted measures and investments totaling €32 million. In the environmental area, this included topics such as climate protection, sustainable infrastructure and the circular economy. In Autumn 2024, a detailed assessment of all the work in the area of sustainability will be published as part of a comprehensive ESG report.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) is shorthand for an investing principle that prioritizes the environmental issues, the social issues and corporate governance. Investing with the ESG considerations are sometimes referred to as responsible investing or, in more proactive cases, impact investing.

A circular economy is a model of resource production and consumption in any economy that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling the existing materials and products for as long as possible.

The Nielsen Sports study is based on the ticket holder surveys, cross-media analysis and data from the host country, Host Cities and the UEFA as well as the experience and expertise from over 150 similar impact studies conducted by Nielsen Sports. The full report, explaining the approach and methodology used, can be accessed here.

In addition, a UEFA EURO 2024 tournament review has been published providing more information on the sporting and operational aspects of the tournament and its global reach.

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