What VfB Stuttgart does

VfB Stuttgart 1893 AG is a German professional football club founded in 1893 and headquartered in Stuttgart (Bad Cannstatt), Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The club operates as a privately held Aktiengesellschaft competing in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and UEFA competitions, hosting home matches at the MHP Arena. Revenue is generated across five principal streams: matchday (tickets and season passes), broadcasting rights, commercial sponsorship (including MHP Arena naming rights and main sponsor / kit supplier deals), official merchandise, and VIP hospitality. The customer base spans individual matchday attendees, Dauerkarte season ticket holders, corporate hospitality clients, club members, families, and international development partners.

The club operates a vertically integrated sports platform encompassing the men's professional team, VfB Stuttgart Frauen (women's team competing in 2. Bundesliga), and the "Junge Wilde" youth academy running U21 through U11 squads. Distribution is multi-channel: an e-commerce storefront at shop.vfb.de, physical fan shops (VfB Fan-Center in Carl Benz Center, VfB Fanshop in Breunigerland Ludwigsburg), the official VfB Stuttgart mobile app for iOS and Android, on-site MHP Arena ticket offices, and a dedicated hospitality sales channel at official-vip.com. Supporting services include arena tours (Fan-Tour, Spieltags-Tour, Kids-Tour, VIP-Tour, Barrierefrei-Tour, Live Translation-Tour), children's birthday packages at the stadium, multi-tier membership programs (Vereinsmitgliedschaft, Mini-Club, Fritzle-Club, Jugendclub), and a CSR dementia program (Unvergessen Projekt). Marketing and engagement reach Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, a WhatsApp Channel, Giphy, plus VfB TV, VfB Radio, and email newsletters.

Governance is led by CEO Alexander Wehrle with an executive board that includes Fabian Wohlgemuth (sporting decisions) and Karsten Petry; Dietmar Allgaier chairs the Supervisory Board. Head coach Sebastian Hoeneß leads first-team operations following the club's rise from the relegation zone to Champions League contention. In January 2024, Porsche AG acquired a 5.49% equity stake with publicly stated plans to lift it above 10%, formalizing a long-term partnership that includes the Porsche Tunnel Club hospitality area, youth development support, and stadium sponsorship. The club extended into India in 2024-2025 through a youth development partnership with Sudeva Delhi FC, and operates under DEKRA-certified safety management protocols for stadium operations that are valid through 2026.

Name

VfB Stuttgart

Legal name

VfB Stuttgart 1893 AG

Website

https://vfb.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VfB Stuttgart 1893 AG is a privately held German professional football club competing in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and UEFA competitions. It serves individual fans, season ticket holders, corporate hospitality clients, members, and international development partners across matchday, broadcasting, sponsorship, merchandise, and VIP hospitality revenue streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Football Club

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Individual-Sport Clubs & Teams (Cycling Teams, Athletics/Track Clubs, Swimming Clubs, etc.) (MPAKABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB), Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA), Arena & Stadium Operations (Large-Capacity Venues) (MPAGALAA)

Keywords

• Professional football club
• Bundesliga matchday services
• Sports hospitality packages
• Club membership programs
• Official fan merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Matchday Revenue: Revenue from ticket sales for Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and UEFA Europa League home matches at MHP Arena, including season tickets and individual match tickets.
2. Broadcasting Rights: Revenue from domestic and international broadcasting rights for Bundesliga and cup competitions.
3. Commercial and Sponsorship: Sponsorship deals including main sponsor, kit supplier, stadium naming rights (MHP Arena), and partner relationships including Porsche investment.
4. Merchandising: Sales of official fan merchandise including kits, accessories, and club branded products through online shop and physical stores.
5. Hospitality: VIP hospitality packages including business seats, business loges, and event boxes in the MHP Arena.
6. Porsche Investment: Porsche AG acquired 5.49% of shares with plans to increase to over 10% by June 2024, representing equity investment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VfB Stuttgart 1893 AG operates a professional German football club delivering Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and European matchday experiences at MHP Arena. Beyond competitive football, the club sells season and individual match tickets, official fan merchandise, multi-tier club memberships, VIP hospitality (business lounges, business seats, event boxes, Porsche Tunnel Club), stadium experience tours, and runs the Junge Wilde youth development academy. The portfolio targets individual supporters, families, corporate clients, and youth talent through both physical and digital channels.

Product overview

VfB Stuttgart is a German football club offering a portfolio of experiences and services centered around its professional team and MHP Arena stadium. The core offering includes matchday tickets and the VfB Stuttgart App for news and live content. Supporting services encompass hospitality packages (MECHATRONIK Württemberg Lounge, CLUB 1893, Porsche Tunnel Club), stadium experience tours (Fan-Tour, Spieltags-Tour, Kids-Tour, VIP-Tour, Barrierefrei-Tour), membership programs (Vereinsmitgliedschaft, Mini-Club, Fritzle-Club), youth development (Junge Wilde), merchandise (VfB Fanartikel), and social initiatives (Unvergessen Projekt). The portfolio operates as a multi-service platform serving fans, members, corporate partners, and community groups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VfB Stuttgart App
• Arena-Touren (Arena Tours) Stadium experience tours at MHP Arena including Fan-Tour, Spieltags-Tour (Matchday Tour), Kids-Tour, VIP-Tour, Barrierefrei-Tour (Accessible Tour), and Live Translation-Tour. Tours offer access to player tunnel, dressing room, pitch edge, press conference room, and media center for fans, school groups, and corporate guests.
• VfB Kindergeburtstag (Children's Birthday) Birthday party packages at the MHP Arena featuring behind-the-scenes stadium access, soccer court activities, Fritzle mascot appearances, and family block seating for matchdays, targeted at families with children.
• Mitgliedschaften (Memberships) Club membership programs including Vereinsmitgliedschaft (Club Membership), Mini-Club (ages 0-17), Fritzle-Club, and Jugendclub, offering access to events, benefits, exclusive content, and community belonging for VfB Stuttgart supporters.
• Hospitality-Bereiche (VIP Hospitality) VIP hospitality areas at MHP Arena including MECHATRONIK Württemberg Lounge with 21 business lounges and 500+ business seats, CLUB 1893 with approximately 350 seats, Porsche Tunnel Club, Eventbox, and Business Seats for corporate clients and premium guests.
• Junge Wilde (Youth Development) Youth development program featuring U21, U19, U17, and U16-U11 teams competing in 3. Liga, A-Junioren-Bundesliga, and B-Junioren-Nachwuchsliga, with youth academy coaching and structured talent development pathways.
• VfB Fanartikel (Official Merchandise) Official merchandise including jerseys, training gear, accessories, home items, and club collaborations (e.g., Champion x VfB, VfB X GOT BAG) sold via the online shop and physical fan stores for supporters.
• Unvergessen Projekt (Dementia Project) Social responsibility project offering specialized stadium tours and memory afternoons for people with dementia and their caregivers, providing sensory stadium experiences as part of the VfBfairplay community impact umbrella.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 59,000 average attendance per home match
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Borussia Dortmund: Another large, privately held German football AG competing in the Bundesliga and UEFA competitions with a comparable mix of matchday, broadcasting, sponsorship and merchandising revenue. Closest direct peer given similar corporate structure, fan scale and Champions League profile.
• Bayer 04 Leverkusen: Bundesliga competitor with recent top-flight and European success, similar stadium-driven matchday economics and a comparable mix of corporate sponsorship, broadcasting and ticketing revenue.
• Eintracht Frankfurt: German football AG competing in Bundesliga and UEFA competitions with comparable stadium (Deutsche Bank Park), ticketing, sponsorship and merchandising operations; relevant comparable for Stuttgart's hospitality and matchday strategies.
• RB Leipzig: Bundesliga club with strong corporate backing, Champions League participation and modern stadium economics — directly comparable on commercial structure and youth-development-led model.
• VfL Wolfsburg: Privately held Bundesliga club with significant automotive-sector sponsorship overlap (Volkswagen), making it a useful comparable on industrial partnership economics similar to Stuttgart's Porsche relationship.
• TSG 1899 Hoffenheim: Bundesliga club with strong youth-development focus (comparable to Junge Wilde) and a modern stadium operation; relevant peer for talent-pipeline economics and mid-tier Bundesliga positioning.
• Hertha BSC: German football club operating as a private AG/association model similar to VfB Stuttgart, competing in Bundesliga or 2. Bundesliga; useful comparable for capital structure and fan/membership economics.
• Hamburger SV: Historic German football club with similar AG-plus-membership ownership structure, large stadium (Volksparkstadion) and comparable reliance on traditional matchday and broadcasting revenue.

Broad incumbents

• Bayern Munich: Germany's dominant Bundesliga club and the benchmark VfB Stuttgart competes against; same league, similar revenue architecture (matchday, broadcasting, sponsorship, merchandise, hospitality) but vastly larger scale and global brand.
• Juventus FC: European football club with comparable corporate stock-issuance history, modern stadium operation (Allianz Stadium), diversified matchday/broadcasting/sponsorship revenue mix and global fan base — useful international comparable for scaled German clubs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vfb
• YouTubeyoutube.com/vfbtv
• Facebookfacebook.com/VfB
• Instagraminstagram.com/vfb
• TikToktiktok.com/@vfb?lang=de-DE

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VfB Stuttgart