Marketing offensive: The Big Business of Bavaria and BVB in Trump-Land

When mugsts, Bayern legends Giovane Elber and Claudio Pizarro are working hard in competition with fans in lederhosen. In the beer house in Miami there is schnitzel, liver cheese and barley juice from the sponsor of the German football champion. Whether in Miami, where many football-loving Latin Americans live, in Cincinnati or in Charlotte: At his venues at the club World Cup, the Munich organize fan events during the long-term tournament.

Not only Bayern, Borussia Dortmund is also active to conquer the large and financially attractive US market for a bit. BVB opened at its venues New York, Cincinnati and Atlanta fan messages including Dortmund beer. The top German top clubs are on the hunt for deals in the country of Donald Trump.

A marketing trip, as you can take to Asia or America every year in the summer, is not possible this year. But the club event in the new XXL format can also be used well as an advertising platform. All the more the more when you also get wide.

Longer than a classic summer advertising tour

“You can tell that an official tournament always experiences a different perception and appreciation than a preparatory trip. We are also here longer than on a summer tour,” said Managing Director Carsten Cramer of the German Press Agency in BVB in Fort Lauderdale.

In 2026 it will be more complicated for the clubs. Then the national team’s World Cup tournament with 48 participants in the USA, Canada and Mexico practically does not allow their own long-distance trips. The top players also need vacation. In addition to the direct territorial areas of the World Association FIFA with its sponsors – for example in the stadiums – there is now a lot of things to do for your own, often internationally operating advertising partners.

Over 100 Bayern fan clubs in the USA

It’s about Big Business. Bavaria boss Jan-Christian Dreesen speaks of “a momentum” that was never so cheap to “establish football in the USA sustainably”. The soccer wants American football, basketball, baseball and ice hockey in the land of big professional sports.

Over 100 Bayern fan clubs with more than 6,500 members are available in the United States. Many supporters come to the World Cup games in the jersey. They receive their idols at the team hotel, hope for a selfie and autographs. “Our fan base is growing,” said CFO Michael Diederich. The basic camp of the record champions is in Orlando, almost in the middle of Disneyland. Thomas Müller posed for photos with Micky Maus and Goofy.

FC Bayern has been maintaining an office in Manhattan for many years. BVB also followed up. Since 2024, the black and yellow also have a constant representation in New York City. From a financial point of view, the club World Cup is highly attractive for the two Bundesliga clubs. BVB had recorded almost 40 million euros from FIFA’s premium pot before the round of 16 on Wednesday night in Atlanta against CF Monterrey from Mexico.

The club World Cup as a gold mine

After the advance into the quarter-finals against Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern even reached the 50 million euro brand. The title win would be the 100 million euro jackpot. Some mid-range Bundesliga team does not implement so much in a whole season.

The national leagues and the clubs not participating in the World Cup fear that the World Cup coal solidifies the financial superiority of the top clubs even more. This is true, of course with a restriction: the club World Cup in the new format only provides a one-time effect. The tournament should take place every four years.

The annual Champions League revenue of permanent participants such as Bavaria, Dortmund, Real Madrid, PSG or Manchester City, on the other hand, are in the high double-digit million range and even above. Europe’s premier class manifests the financial gradient more sustainably.

World Cup millions for Woltemade

Nevertheless, the World Cup in the now opened summer transfer window opens shopping tours. Bayern could simply invest a large part of their World Cup millions in the shooting star Nick Woltemade from the DFB Cup winner VfB Stuttgart.

In addition to the prize money of a total of one billion US dollars, Bayern and BVB are primarily about brand formation during the stay in the USA. Dortmund’s marketing director Cramer is busy with his team. Several thousand supporters were able to meet and celebrate in the fan messages. In Cincinnati, where BVB played twice, a new fan club was added. Dortmund now has 45 in North America.

In Manhattan, the club invited several hundred guests, sponsors and celebrities to a rootop party. Former BVB professionals such as Lucas Barrios, Patrick Owomoyela or novel Weidenfeller Hugging potential sponsors.

The value of “actions on site”

“You always have to break down the activities on site to local interests,” explained Cramer. “What does not work here may be exactly right, for example in Dortmund – and vice versa. The actions that we do with our mascot, they arrive as silly in Germany. They work in the USA or Asia.” Only those who are more often on site learn how Americans tick.

For ten years, BVB has been doing long -distance trips for marketing reasons. “Our networks, our partners, the number of our fans, our digital reach, of course our sales are getting bigger,” said Cramer. During the club World Cup, the Dortmunders won around two million new social media followers.

Tailwind for foreign marketing

The German football league also wants to benefit from the World Cup appearances of the Bundesliga delays. The longer they are in the tournament, the better. The last tournament week with the two semi-final games and the final on July 13th at the Metlife Stadium is practically in New York, the financial center with the legendary Wall Street. If Bayern and/or BVB are still there, this would be helpful for the DFL for TV foreign marketing.

“Our participation in the club World Cup will help us because 2026 the rights for the American market will be re-awarded,” believes Cramer. This 49 million euros is currently bringing in. “This is rather little in international comparison. We have to do something to survive this in the future.” It could probably be better negotiated with a German club world champion.