Analysis of Football Benchmark

The booming live event and experience economy is reshaping how consumers prioritise their time and spending — and football is uniquely positioned to benefit from this broader trend. Across Europe’s top leagues, stadiums are now brimming with energy and expectation, as matchday attendance surpasses pre-pandemic norms. This resurgence is more than symbolic. At a time when media rights revenues are plateauing for many clubs and commercial growth is maturing, rising attendances — coupled with a fresh wave of stadium investments — present a timely opportunity to rebalance football’s revenue mix and revitalise a historically under-leveraged income stream. This week’s article explores the key drivers behind this recent surge across Europe’s top leagues, highlighting the opportunity for clubs to reimagine and revitalise their matchday strategies.

Significant growth in stadium attendances across Europe’s “Big Five” leagues

To provide consistency, the analysis compares the 2023/24 season to the last uninterrupted pre-COVID campaign, 2018/19. Additionally, only clubs that competed in their respective top flights throughout the analysed period are considered. The results reveal a widespread increase in average attendance across Europe’s “Big Five” leagues.

Serie A: A resurgent atmosphere

Among the top European leagues, Serie A stands out for the scale and speed of its attendance growth — especially notable given that many of Italy’s stadium projects are still in early stages. Two main factors explain this trend: a post-pandemic surge in demand for live experiences and a more balanced sporting landscape following the end of Juventus’ dominance. Since 2018/19, the Scudetto has been won by AC Milan (2021/22), SSC Napoli (2022/23), and Inter Milan (2023/24), while AS Roma have reasserted their European credentials by winning the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League and reaching the UEFA Europa League final. These achievements have fuelled a surge in fan interest: AS Roma, SSC Napoli, AC Milan, and Inter Milan have each increased their average home crowds by over 10,000. This marks a sharp contrast to 2014/15, when AS Roma were the only Serie A club averaging more than 40,000 fans per match.

LaLiga: infrastructure as a strategic priority

Spanish top clubs have also long understood the strategic value of modern infrastructure for sustainable competitiveness and commercial growth. This focus has intensified with the help of LaLiga Impulso — a CVC-backed initiative designed to fund club transformation, with stadium investment at its core. For example, Real Sociedad’s ongoing enhancements to the Reale Arena resulted in an average attendance increase of 8,000 fans. Around the same time, Real Madrid’s redevelopment of Santiago Bernabéu also drove a rise in matchday crowds. However, with a strong tradition of season ticketing, many Spanish clubs face a unique challenge: reducing no show rates, especially for lower-profile fixtures, and striking the right balance between loyal members and occasional fans.

Ligue 1: choosing stadiums over screens

Despite ongoing uncertainty around domestic broadcast rights, Ligue 1 has experienced robust attendance growth — underlining strong underlying demand for the live football experience. OGC Nice and Olympique de Marseille have led the league in absolute attendance growth between 2018/19 and 2023/24, among ever-present top-flight clubs. Nice posted a 30% increase, while Marseille grew by 21%. Crucially, these gains came without stadium expansions — showing that better team performance and enhanced fan engagement can drive growth independently. Marseille’s case is particularly striking: stadium utilisation in domestic matches rose from 76% to 90%, and matchday revenues nearly doubled — from €19.7 million (2018/19) to €38.8 million (2023/24) across all competitions.

England & Germany: demand outpacing supply

The Premier League and Bundesliga have long been known for exceptional stadium utilisation, averaging 95% in domestic matches during the 2023/24 season. With limited scope for organic attendance growth, increases have largely stemmed from stadium expansion and modernisation. Tottenham Hotspur’s move to their new stadium in 2019 led to the largest attendance gain in the league — with over 7,000 additional fans per match. West Ham and Liverpool followed suit, with attendances rising by around 4,000 and 3,000 respectively, both driven by recent increases in stadium capacity. In Germany, SC Freiburg’s move to the new 34,700-seat Europa-Park Stadion unlocked latent demand previously constrained by their former ground. In a similar vein, Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig — who recorded the next largest average attendance increases in the Bundesliga — also benefited from expanded stadium capacity.

From increased attendance to long-term engagement

This surge in attendance across Europe’s top leagues represents more than a return to pre-pandemic norms — it reflects a renewed appetite for the live matchday experience. As other revenue streams mature, matchday income is once again becoming a strategic pillar for clubs. Crucially, the opportunity goes beyond short-term revenue gains. Clubs now have a chance to turn occasional visitors into long-term members and season ticket holders. While some teams benefit from tourism and high volumes of one-off spectators, sustainable matchday income for most still depends on a loyal and engaged local fan base.

To fully capitalise on this momentum, clubs must move beyond short-term engagement and reimagine their matchday strategy. By optimising membership models and incentivising repeat attendance, they can stabilise utilisation, and sustain demand that consistently exceeds supply. This approach strengthens community bonds, enhances brand equity, and boosts the club’s overall commercial appeal. Football Benchmark provides clubs with data-driven insights into attendance trends and pricing strategies, helping to optimise matchday revenues and drive sustainable growth.