German women's soccer shows more investment as crowds grow

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German women's soccer clubs posted record revenue and losses in a report out Monday, reflecting heavier investment into the game even before the national team's run to the final of the European Championship last year brought a dramatic increase in spectator numbers.

The report by the German soccer federation covers the 2021-22 season, before the European Championship, and shows the 12 clubs in the top-division Frauen-Bundesliga averaged around 1.42 million euros ($1.53 million) in revenue.

Expenses averaged 2.94 million euros ($3.16 million), driven in part by higher wage costs, meaning average overall losses of around 1.52 million ($1.64 million) per team.

The bulk of the losses were made by teams attached to clubs which also run men's professional teams. Those clubs often cross-finance their women's soccer operations with income from the wider organization. Teams are investing for the future and there is no indication the league is in financial jeopardy, the federation said.

Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg have taken the lead in German women's soccer in recent years during a push to professionalize the league. As the transfer market worldwide has grown, they've faced extra competition to sign top players to keep up with Champions League rivals from England, Spain and France.

Since the European Championship, which had widespread TV coverage not seen for previous continental tournaments, attendances have more than tripled this season to around 3,000 per game, up from 806 in 2021-22, with Wolfsburg leading the way at over 7,700.

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