As of: March 10, 2024, 4:53 p.m
By: Stefan Schmid
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The DEL reports a new attendance record.
This means that ice hockey remains the number two visitor magnet.
Basketball can't even theoretically overtake.
Munich – After the tough Covid years, the sport of ice hockey is experiencing a new heyday.
The success of the national team last year also helps.
With an outstanding performance, the DEB cracks sensationally won World Cup silver and only had to admit defeat in the final against Canada (2:5).
The German Ice Hockey League, which can look forward to the largest audience in Europe, is now also reaping the rewards.
German ice hockey league passes Switzerland
With an average of 7,160 visitors per game, the DEL set a new record in its 30th season.
This meant they overtook the Swiss National League (7,131) for the first time and took the lead in Europe.
The Kölner Haie even set a European record with an average audience of 16,993.
“We have an extreme increase of over 20 percent,” said DEL managing director Gernot Tripcke one day before the end of the main round.
“German ice hockey has never had so much interest and attention,” said Tripcke, who can also look at the TV numbers with pride.
Media partner Telekom recorded record numbers: 18.5 million fans watched the main round games live on MagentaSport - also a growth of around 20 percent.
Ice hockey, here with the Eisbären Berlin, is extremely popular in Germany.
© picture alliance/dpa |
Andreas Gora
Despite competition, ice hockey holds its own behind football
The fact that men's football attracts the most spectators in Germany needs no explanation, but there are now more and more sports behind it.
While ice hockey has been able to attract many fans for decades, another competitor has entered the ring: American football.
Basketball also became more popular and handball has always been deeply anchored in German sport.
But in terms of viewership, none of them come close to the DEL.
To be fair, when it comes to the sports facilities in the Handball Bundesliga, they only have an average capacity of just under 7,348 - and that only includes the largest venues at HSV Hamburg and Bergischer HC.
With an average of 5,014 spectators per game (as of March 7, 2024), the handball Bundesliga is a lot behind the popularity of ice hockey.
It doesn't help that SC Magdeburg, the handball world cup winner, is based in Germany.
They celebrated their Champions League victory last year and then won the World Cup.
The handball players from SC Magdeburg.
© IMAGO / Christian Schroedter
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Basketball and American football have no chance against ice hockey
Even the increasingly booming US sports of basketball and American football are still nowhere near the number of spectators for ice hockey.
While the BBL basketball halls cannot reach the average of the DEL due to their capacity, even with games that are constantly sold out, football is probably still too new in Germany.
At least as far as the regional teams are concerned – the NFL games in Germany have been very popular so far.
The German Football League, i.e. the purely German league, only had an average audience of around 1,500 last year.
But that may also be due to the European Football League, in which some German teams also play.
An average of around 4,300 fans saw the games live in the stadiums in 2023.
The football hype has not yet spread to the local ranks.
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sh/SID
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