VfL Lübeck-Schwartau
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau is a German professional handball club competing in the 2. Handball-Bundesliga, playing home games at Hansehalle in Lübeck. It generates revenue from ticket sales, regional sponsorships, merchandise, and fan experience packages for handball fans and local groups in Schleswig-Holstein.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1863
- HeadquartersLübeck, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What VfL Lübeck-Schwartau does
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau is the professional handball department of VfL Bad Schwartau von 1863 e. V., a registered German sports association founded in 1863. The club competes in the 2. Handball-Bundesliga (2. HBL), the second tier of German professional handball, and plays its home matches at the Hansehalle arena in Lübeck (~2,100 spectator capacity). The operating entity is HM Handball Marketing Spielbetriebs GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered at Brockesstraße 69, Lübeck, with roughly 8 administrative employees and a playing/coaching roster of approximately 30 athletes and support staff. The club finished 7th in the prior 2025/26 season but started the new season ranked 15th of 18 teams.
The business model is a typical regional professional sports club revenue stack: matchday ticket sales (individual and season tickets/Dauerkarten), sponsorship income from regional main sponsors (Sparkasse Lübeck, Sparkasse Holstein, Kaufhaus Stolz, LBC, Jacob Cement, Thomas Goerss, Unizell) plus equipment partner Hummel and exclusive beer partner Ratsherrn, merchandise sales through the VfL Store, and bundled fan experience packages (school/club/company of the game, tunnel walk, team run-on). Distribution is direct via online ticket shop, on-site box office, and the club's e-commerce store. Non-matchday revenue is augmented by the international Jacob Cement Cup pre-season tournament, the Hansehölle club magazine, and the Toby Tiger mascot program.
The technology stack is conventional web infrastructure: a content website with Google Analytics (IP anonymized), Google Tag Manager, Meta Pixel, DoubleClick, YouTube, Spotify, Curator.io, FlipHTML5, and a rapidmail newsletter. There is no proprietary technology, app, or platform product; the team's only quasi-analytical staff role is a video analyst, reflecting standard sports-operations practice rather than any AI/ML capability.
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VfL Lübeck-Schwartau
- Legal name
- HM Handball Marketing Spielbetriebs GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://vfl-luebeck-schwartau.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1863
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- VfL Lübeck-Schwartau is a German professional handball club competing in the 2. Handball-Bundesliga, playing home games at Hansehalle in Lübeck. It generates revenue from ticket sales, regional sponsorships, merchandise, and fan experience packages for handball fans and local groups in Schleswig-Holstein.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (7112), Spectator Sports (71121)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Handball Leagues (MPAKAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB), Professional Live Sports Leagues & Tours (MPAGAMAA)
Keywords
Where VfL Lübeck-Schwartau is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lübeck
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual match tickets and season tickets (Dauerkarten) sold online and at the Hansehalle venue for 2. HBL league matches and DHB-Pokal cup games.
- Sponsorship: Revenue from main sponsors (Sparkasse Lübeck, Sparkasse Holstein, Kaufhaus Stolz, LBC, Jacob Cement, Thomas Goerss, Unizell) and exclusive beer partner Ratsherrn. Equipment sponsor Hummel provides apparel.
- Merchandise and Fan Products: Revenue from fan shop sales including the VfL Store, merchandise, and fan experiences such as Spalierteam, Einlaufmannschaft, Schule/Verein/Unternehmen des Spieltages packages.
- Event Experiences: Revenue from fan experience packages sold to schools, clubs, and companies including tunnel walks, player escorts, and branded game-day sponsorship packages.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Individual match tickets - pricing not publicly disclosed |
| Subscription | Annual | Season tickets (Dauerkarten) - pricing not publicly disclosed |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Fan experience packages for schools, clubs, companies |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau operates a professional handball team competing in the 2. HBL (2nd German Handball Bundesliga), delivering live match-day entertainment at the Hansehalle arena in Lübeck. The club sells individual match tickets, season tickets (Dauerkarten), premium fan experience packages, and club merchandise through the VfL Store, and secures additional revenue through regional and national sponsorship partnerships.
Product overview
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau is a German professional handball club competing in the 2. HBL (2nd Bundesliga). The organization operates a multi-layered offering centered on its handball team, with ticketed game day experiences at Hansehalle as the core product, supplemented by premium fan experiences (tunnel walks, team run-ons, 'X of the game day' designations), season ticket packages, and merchandise sales through the Fanshop. Additional offerings include the international Jacob Cement Cup preseason tournament, the Hansehölle club magazine, and the Toby Tiger mascot program with children's birthday party packages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Successful season finale with nearly 2100 spectators
Companies that use VfL Lübeck-Schwartau
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RatsherrncoreRatsherrn became the new exclusive beer partner of VfL Lübeck-Schwartau. The partnership provides exclusive beer offerings at matches and events at the Hansehalle.
- HummelcoreLong-term equipment sponsor providing team apparel and sports gear. Partnership recently extended for multiple years.
- PaktumcoreVfL Lübeck-Schwartau and Paktum entered a long-term partnership. Paktum appears to be a strategic operational or technology partner.
- Sparkasse LübeckcoreMain sponsor and exclusive banking partner. Major financial supporter of the club's professional operations.
- Sparkasse HolsteincoreMain sponsor providing financial support for club operations.
- Jacob CementcoreMain sponsor and naming partner of the annual Jacob Cement Cup pre-season tournament featuring international top teams.
- Kaufhaus StolzcoreMain sponsor - regional department store chain based in Lübeck.
- LBC (Lübecker Bausparkasse)coreMain sponsor - Lübeck building society providing financial support.
- Thomas GoerssminorSponsor - local real estate company TG Immobilien Lübeck.
- UnizellminorSponsor - healthcare/medical supplies company.
- AutodocminorAuto parts online retailer advertising on the VfL website.
- pkwteile.deminorAuto parts online partner advertising on the VfL website.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights8 records
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SG Flensburg-Handewitt: Top-tier HBL club in northern Germany. Geographically the closest 1st-division incumbent, useful for benchmarking the gap VfL would need to close to compete in sponsorship categories across the region.
- THW Kiel: Top-tier Handball Bundesliga (HBL) powerhouse and Germany's flagship handball club. Relevant broad incumbent for understanding the upper bound of sponsorship, broadcast, and brand value that 2. HBL clubs target.
Direct peers
- Eulen Ludwigshafen: 2. HBL side with parallel commercial structure — sponsorship-led revenue, modest arena capacity, and family/community fan experience products. Comparable as a like-for-like second-tier benchmark.
- TV Emsdetten: 2. HBL club in the same league tier and similar demographic/market profile. Closely comparable as a direct peer for both sporting and commercial performance benchmarking.
- GWD Minden: Long-established 2. HBL club and table leader at season start. Directly comparable in league, broadcast tier, and traditional German regional handball club profile with similar revenue mix.
- HSC 2000 Coburg: 2. HBL club of similar size and regional orientation. Comparable in arena scale, sponsorship composition (regional Mittelstand), and recurring matchday/community revenue mix.
- TuS N-Lübbecke: Direct 2. HBL competitor and VfL's season-opening opponent. Comparable as a fellow second-tier German professional handball club with similar venue scale and northern German regional sponsorship base.
- SC DHfK Leipzig: Top-of-table 2. HBL club with comparable professional operations, ticket/sponsorship model, and fan-experience product set. Useful peer for benchmarking venue economics and sponsorship pricing.
- ASV Hamm-Westfalen: Mid-tier 2. HBL club with comparable arena economics and regional sponsorship dependency. Closely matches VfL in current league standing range.
- TuSEM Essen: Traditional 2. HBL club with a comparable historical lineage and professional operating model. Useful direct peer for sponsorship yield and fan engagement comparisons.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau social profiles
Digital presenceVfL Lübeck-Schwartau financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about VfL Lübeck-Schwartau
What does VfL Lübeck-Schwartau do?
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau operates a professional handball team competing in the 2. HBL (2nd German Handball Bundesliga), delivering live match-day entertainment at the Hansehalle arena in Lübeck. The club sells individual match tickets, season tickets (Dauerkarten), premium fan experience packages, and club merchandise through the VfL Store, and secures additional revenue through regional and national sponsorship partnerships.
Is VfL Lübeck-Schwartau a public or private company?
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was VfL Lübeck-Schwartau founded?
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau was founded in 1863. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is VfL Lübeck-Schwartau based?
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau is headquartered in Lübeck, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does VfL Lübeck-Schwartau make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are sponsorship, merchandise and Fan Products and event Experiences.
Who are VfL Lübeck-Schwartau's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SG Flensburg-Handewitt and THW Kiel. Direct peers are Eulen Ludwigshafen, TV Emsdetten, GWD Minden, HSC 2000 Coburg, TuS N-Lübbecke, SC DHfK Leipzig, ASV Hamm-Westfalen and TuSEM Essen.
Does VfL Lübeck-Schwartau have an API?
No public API is recorded for VfL Lübeck-Schwartau.
What industry is VfL Lübeck-Schwartau in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAAAM, Handball Leagues, with a secondary code of MPAGAMAB, Team Sports Matches (Club & National). Its NAICS code is 711211 and its SIC code is 7997.