FC Carl Zeiss Jena

Name

FC Carl Zeiss Jena

Legal name

FC Carl Zeiss Jena Fußball Spielbetriebs GmbH

Website

https://fc-carlzeiss-jena.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Football Club / Sports and Entertainment Services

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Team Sports Clubs (Football/Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, etc.) (MPAKABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB), Licensing, Merchandising & Co-Branded Products (Sponsored Merchandise, Collabs) (MPAKALAE)

Keywords

• Professional football club
• Matchday ticketing
• Corporate hospitality
• Sports sponsorship
• Youth football academy

Headquarters

HQ city

Jena

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Matchday Revenue: Revenue from ticket sales for home matches including Regionalliga Nordost men's team, 2. Frauen-Bundesliga women's team, and youth competitions. Includes single match tickets and season tickets (Dauerkarten).
2. Sponsorship & Advertising: Multi-tiered sponsorship program including Hauptsponsor (main sponsor), Exklusiv-Partner, Club-Partner, Regional-Partner, and sustainability partners. Revenue from stadium advertising, LED boards, website placements, and promotional activations.
3. Hospitality & VIP Services: Premium hospitality packages including 'Stadionblick' (800 seats), 'Kernbergblick' (80 seats), and 'Logenblick' (8 corporate boxes for 12-14 guests). Revenue from seasonal packages and per-game sales.
4. Merchandise & Fan Articles: Online and physical fan shops selling replica kits, apparel, and accessories. Operates Fanstore in Jena city center and stadium shop.
5. Membership Fees: Annual membership subscriptions for club supporters, with family membership options available.
6. Venue Rental & Events: Rental of ad hoc arena facilities for corporate events, Christmas parties, and business events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FC Carl Zeiss Jena is a professional football club that sells competitive sports entertainment (Regionalliga Nordost men's team and 2. Frauen-Bundesliga women's team), matchday ticketing including season passes, VIP and corporate hospitality at the ad hoc arena, and a layered sponsorship program for corporate partners. It supplements this with branded merchandise, club memberships, youth academy programs through FCCparadiesCampus (NLZ) and the FCC Fußballschule, and commercial venue rental of the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld.

Product overview

FC Carl Zeiss Jena operates as a multi-faceted football club offering professional sports teams (men's Regionalliga and women's 2. Bundesliga), comprehensive youth development through its Nachwuchsleistungszentrum (FCCparadiesCampus), and the FCC Fußballschule for grassroots training. The club's commercial operations include VIP hospitality services at the ad hoc arena, merchandise e-commerce, ticketing platforms, and a microsponsorship program (Club elf5 Jena) for regional businesses. The club's '#MehrAlsFussball' initiative encompasses social responsibility projects across environmental, diversity, and community engagement areas. This portfolio combines sports performance with commercial hospitality, retail, and community-facing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FCCparadiesCampus: Youth development and training programs
• ad hoc arena
• FCC eSport

Products and services

• FCC Men's First Team (Regionalliga Nordost) Men's professional football team competing in the Regionalliga Nordost at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld (ad hoc arena); the on-field product driving matchday ticket, season ticket, merchandise, sponsorship and hospitality revenues for individual fans, members, and corporate partners.
• FCC Women (1. Frauenmannschaft) Women's professional football team competing in the 2. Frauen-Bundesliga (Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga), promoted to Bundesliga in the 2023/24 season. Backed by a youth pipeline through U20, U17, U14, and U12 teams.
• Match Tickets and Season Tickets (Dauerkarten) Online and box-office access to single-match tickets and 2026/27 season tickets (Dauerkarten) for men's, women's, DFB-Pokal, and youth fixtures, distributed via fcc-ticketshop.de, ticket-onlineshop.com, the stadium box office, and EVENTIM Sports.
• FCC Fan-Shop / Merchandise Online and physical retail of replica kits (via Macron), apparel, accessories, and fan articles, sold at the Fanstore in Jena city center (Unterm Markt 4) and the stadium Fanstore (T-Gebäude) plus the online merchandising shop.
• Club Memberships Annual club memberships including family memberships, gift memberships, and the FCCsparadies program for the 5,700+ member base; the largest member-supported football club in Thuringia.
• VIP & Hospitality Packages (Stadionblick, Kernbergblick, Logenblick) Premium hospitality tiers at the ad hoc arena: Stadionblick (800 seats, €2,000 + VAT/season or €175 incl. VAT per game), Kernbergblick (80 seats, €2,700 + VAT/season or €195.90 incl. VAT per game), and Logenblick (8 corporate boxes for 12–14 guests each, from €36,000 per season).
• FCC Sponsorship Program (Hauptsponsor through Regional-Partner) Tiered sponsorship offering for corporate partners: Hauptsponsor (main sponsor), Exklusiv-Partner, Club-Partner, Regional-Partner, and Nachhaltigkeits-Partner, providing stadium advertising, LED-board visibility, website placements, and joint PR activations. Current main sponsor is Autohaus König (from 2024/25).
• Club elf5 Jena Microsponsorship Program Microsponsorship program for small and medium regional businesses bundled by elf5 and BAES Deutschland GmbH, with three tiered packages — Landgraf €299 (6 day-tickets + logo placement), Sonnenberge €699 (+2 VIP day-tickets), Jenzig €1,105 (+6 VIP tickets, signed jersey, homepage and LED-wall placement).
• FCCparadiesCampus (Nachwuchsleistungszentrum / NLZ) Club-run youth talent development center providing structured football training across age groups U10 through U19, plus kindergarten and school outreach programs led by Isabell Knipp. Feeds the men's and women's first teams.
• FCC Fußballschule Open football school offering training programs, holiday camps (FerienCamps during Easter and summer), and skill-development courses for children and youth aged 5–16 in the Jena region.
• Event Rental & Venue Services (ad hoc Arena) Rental of the ad hoc arena (Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld) facilities for corporate events, Christmas parties, and business events with customizable catering, managed through [email protected].

Quantifiable outcome

• Won 16th Thüringer Landespokal in 2026 from 21st final appearance
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• John TelekommunikationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2026Telecommunications provider specializing in planning, installation, and maintenance of telecom systems. Expanded engagement to Exklusiv-Partner status for 2026/27 season with additional stadium advertising and digital channel visibility.
• Autohaus KönigcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2024Auto dealership with headquarters in Berlin and 80+ locations across Germany (including Thuringia) became main sponsor and jersey sponsor starting 2024/25 season. Two-year partnership includes jersey front, stadium advertising, LED boards, and joint PR activities.
• MacroncoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 July 2020Italian sports equipment manufacturer Macron has been FCC's equipment supplier since summer 2020. Partnership extended long-term until 2030. Macron provides teamwear, training gear, and merchandise for men's, women's, and youth teams. Also supports stadium shop development and regional teamwear distribution.
• ad hoc GruppecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive partner of FCC. The ad hoc arena naming rights holder at Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld.
• Carl Zeiss AGcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive partner and namesake of the club. Global optics and optoelectronics company headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany with deep historical ties to Jena and the club.
• KöstritzerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGerman brewery brand as exclusive partner. Provides beverages for stadium hospitality and fan events.
• RemondisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnvironmental services company as exclusive partner providing waste management and recycling services.
• Sparkasse JenacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal savings bank as exclusive partner and regional financial institution with long-standing club support.
• Thüringer Kühlhäuser GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCold storage company from Erfurt as exclusive partner.
• AOK PLUScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth insurance company as sustainability partner. Collaborates on AOK-Schultour visiting schools to teach movement and nutrition skills to children.
• Stadtwerke Jena GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal utilities company as sustainability partner and remaining partner after Autohaus König became main sponsor.
• meridian Neue Energien GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy company as sustainability partner supporting club's environmental initiatives.
• BLANK & SEEGERS KGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWholesale distributor for sanitary, heating, installation, climate and ventilation technology, tools, roofing, and electrical equipment. Operating in Thuringia for 30+ years. Extended partnership as Club-Partner for 2026/27 season.
• Briefmarken & Münzen Ankauf Jena Dirk GriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal philatelist and coin dealer with 20+ years history in Jena. Continues Club-Partner engagement for 2026/27 season.
• EVENTIM SportscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTicketing platform partner for strategic partnership extending cooperation for ticket distribution services.
• elf5 (elf5 GmbH & Co. KG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketing and sales management company responsible for FCC's commercial rights, VIP/hospitality sales, and sponsorship activations. Email: [email protected].
• BAES Deutschland GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner company for Club elf5 microsponsorship platform offering three packages (Landgraf 299EUR, Sonnenberge 699EUR, Jenzig 1,105EUR) for small regional businesses.
• Medipolis SC JenaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBasketball club partnered with FCC in Club elf5 initiative, allowing partners to support both football and basketball in Jena.
• 1. FC Union BerlinminorOthersBundesliga club scheduled to play friendly match at FCC's Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld on July 12, 2026 for season opening event.
• Bayer 04 LeverkusenminorOthersBundesliga club scheduled to test against FCC as part of summer schedule 2026.
• SV Darmstadt 98minorOthers2. Bundesliga club as FCC's DFB-Pokal first round opponent.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SG Dynamo Dresden: Major East German traditional club operating across 3. Liga and historically higher tiers, with established women's team and youth academy. Closely comparable to FCC in heritage, geographic catchment (former East Germany), multi-revenue model (matchday/sponsorship/hospitality), and reliance on regional Mittelstand sponsor base.
• 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig: Historic East German football club competing in Regionalliga with similar commercial structure, member-driven model, and youth pipeline. Comparable heritage and regional sponsor dependency to FCC.
• Viktoria 89 Berlin: Berlin-based Regionalliga club with modern commercialization and youth development focus. Comparable in tier and operational structure to FCC, particularly in hospitality and tiered sponsorship approach.
• FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt: Direct Thuringian rival competing in similar Regionalliga/3. Liga tier with comparable stadium capacity and identical regional sponsor pool. Most direct geographic peer for both men's on-pitch competition and corporate sponsorship demand in Thuringia.
• Hallescher FC: East German club oscillating between 3. Liga and Regionalliga with multi-revenue streams (matchday, sponsorship, hospitality) and youth development. Same tier of commercial scale and broadcast exposure as FCC.
• BFC Dynamo: Berlin-based Regionalliga club with comparable traditional supporter base, youth development, and commercial revenue mix. Similar tier and operational scale as FCC.
• FSV Zwickau: Saxony club operating in Regionalliga/3. Liga with traditional fan base and youth academy. Comparable tier, sponsor base, and on-pitch commercial positioning.
• Chemnitzer FC: Saxony-based club competing at Regionalliga/3. Liga level with traditional supporter base, similar stadium size, and comparable commercial profile (sponsorships, hospitality, retail). Directly comparable in tier, demographic, and revenue mix.
• SV Babelsberg 03: Brandenburg club competing in Regionalliga with comparable member-supported structure, stadium capacity, and grassroots/community programs. Directly mirrors FCC's community-driven commercial model.
• BSG Chemie Leipzig: Leipzig-based Regionalliga club with member-supported governance and community-rooted operations. Closely matches FCC's member-driven model and reliance on regional SME sponsorship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fccarlzeissjena
• Facebookfacebook.com/fccarlzeissjena.1903
• Instagraminstagram.com/fccarlzeissjena_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 FC Carl Zeiss Jena