Economic engine Schäfer: "The clubs in the Super League do far more than just provide sporting entertainment"

Football in Switzerland not only plays an important role in society, it has also become a significant economic factor and employer over the years.

Keystone-SDA

26.11.2025, 11:15

26.11.2025, 12:49

SDA

This is shown by a study presented by the Swiss Football League (SFL) on Wednesday.

In the 2024/25 season, the Super League, the highest league in Swiss football, generated direct and indirect revenue of CHF 1.29 billion and gross added value of CHF 665 million with a total of twelve teams. Compared to the last study conducted for the 2013/14 season, turnover has increased by 63% and value added by 47%.

According to the press release on the study, the value added in the past season corresponded to around two thirds of the value generated at the EURO 2008 in Switzerland. The wages paid by the clubs to their employees as well as expenditure on catering, construction and marketing services contributed significantly to the added value.

Swiss clubs have become an even more important employer: Last season, they counted 4385 full-time positions, a third more than eleven years ago. This is comparable to the workforce of a company such as Suva.

Spectator record in the 2024/25 season

However, the comparison between the two studies should be treated with caution: This is because the number of teams in the Super League has since been increased from 10 to 12 and the number of home games has also increased.

Overall, however, interest in football has grown over the past eleven years, with significantly more football fans flocking to Swiss stadiums. In the 2024/25 season, 3.2 million tickets were sold for league and cup matches and games in European competitions, 45% more than in 2013/14.

Bern's Young Boys led the way with 698,700 tickets sold. YB more than doubled its ticket sales. FC Basel followed in second place with 546,000 tickets sold (2013/14: 722,900) and FC St.Gallen with 416,300 (298,000). At the bottom of this ranking are Yverdon, who were relegated last season, with 53,900 and FC Lugano with 92,300.

With an average attendance of 12,700 per game, the Super League has made it into the top 10 of the European leagues, the report continued. More modern stadiums and the resulting improved spectator experience have made a significant contribution to the increase in spectator interest. In addition, more and more women are attending football matches. They now make up 22 percent of fans in the stadiums.

Fans' spending on the rise

Spending by fans before and after matches (excluding ticket purchases) has also increased by a fifth to CHF 82 million since the 2013/14 season. Almost two-thirds of this is spent on catering, while spending on transportation and retail accounted for 13% each. The clubs also benefit from rising transfer and marketing revenue.

The latest study was compiled by the consulting firm EBP and the Institute for Tourism and Mobility at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU). Club data, a representative spectator survey and an analysis of the entire value chain were incorporated into the work.

Claudius Schäfer, CEO of the Swiss Football League, is very pleased: "The clubs in the Super League do far more than just provide sporting entertainment - they are significant economic factors and important social players. The development of the last eleven years shows impressively how much top-level football has grown in Switzerland: more added value, more jobs, more enthusiasm. This fills us with pride and motivates us to continue on this path."

For the first time, the study also included data on the Challenge League. In the 2024/25 season, the ten clubs in Switzerland's second-highest league generated revenue of CHF 141 million and added value of CHF 69.6 million.

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