OFB Bundesliga
Project: Analysis of the COVID-19 impact on the Austrian Bundesliga and DACH
Due Diligence
Assessment to acquire a club football in one of the top European league
League Assessment of the Digital Portfolio (Top 10 UEFA league)
Covid Issues
Football Analysis Resilience and Impact on Global Football
Sport analysis ahead of UEFA fixtures
Player Release Analysis (ECA)
Club Value Estimation
OFB Bundesliga
Project: Analysis of the COVID-19 impact on the Austrian Bundesliga and DACH

We have an inherent understanding of the disruptive forces reshaping the football industry. COVID-19 has not only amplified some weaknesses but has also been an accelerator for new solutions. The disruption caused by the pandemic has been a good time to rethink the conventional football commercial models and to redefine the core business.

The Austrian Bundesliga appointed us to help them assess the impact of COVID-19 on the football industry. They wanted to focus on not only the short-term effects on the football eco system due to the pandemic but also to start devising the medium and long-term impact on the “established” football model.

Our Action: Conducting risk assessment effects on the football industry due to COVID-19

A significant risk assessment and risk profile was completed for OFB Bundesliga. Specifically, we concentrated our analytical skills on the following fundamental areas:

  • Immediate Revenue impact: costs involved for clubs staging matches behind closed doors, managing costs, managing sponsors and supplier obligations without generating matchday revenue.
  • Significant Indirect Revenue impact: staging matches with reduced capacity and activity levels, combined with an overall economic slowdown. This effect was highly individualised by club and country based on their respective business models.
  • Moderate Direct impact: UEFA’s financial distribution pool was also built on the TV & sponsorship/commercial revenue streams, so short/medium and long term impact would be a factor for many clubs (depending on UEFA’s contracted terms)
Our Impact: Final Report

The Austrian football economy was significantly exposed and affected by the impact of COVID-19. The difference between the impact in Austria and in Europe in general could be explained by the fact that the country’s revenue mix has a very large proportion skewed to sponsorship and commercial activities and a lower proportion of media rights.

In the case of the Austrian Bundesliga, it means that its clubs could be impacted slightly more than the continent-wide baseline due to the closed-door approach, and significantly less than the baseline in case of a decision to postpone or cancel fixtures altogether.

Our findings presented to the Top Executives of the OFB Bundesliga:

  • Comprehensive assessment of the short-medium-long term effects allowing them in the great period of uncertainty and a prediction on DACH clubs in Spring 2020
  • Our model to estimate loss of revenue in March 2020 proved to show a precise prediction: In May 2020, Manchester United FC reported a £28m (€31.1m) loss for the month of March - our calculation was £29.68m (€33m). FC Barcelona was reporting €200m, we calculated €184.5m and our calculation for Paris Saint-Germain would have an estimated loss of around €135m since Ligue 1 stopped until the end of June, while the club announced €170m.

We contacted them 24h after the lockdown and in the space of a few days they were able to provide a well-developed initial analysis with key scenarios that were not necessarily easy as everybody was in panic mode, but which all were proven to be really accurate with hindsight. In order to have a fast response, dedicated attention and quality global insights I would definitely recommend the team as they know how to explore data that might seem less obvious but is no less relevant, and make it applicable to the football industry. They are not comparable to any consulting companies, because their extensive network within this niche industry (that is, football) provides them such an advantage on access, which they can leverage to articulate knowledge of the sports business. Without doubt, this is a partner whom you call if you want to have a real quality delivery beyond a nice stamp

Raphael Landthaler, CEO
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