The European Championship of Football - Research finds viewers prefer European Football Championship matches at home.
The popularity of public viewings for the European Championship is low due to the steep ticket prices, with fans preferring to watch matches at home. A recent study by the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart found that over 70% of Germans surveyed want to watch the tournament locally.
The study surveys a representative sample of 1000 people who shared their opinions on various aspects of sporting expectations, sponsoring and sports marketing, media effectiveness, and the societal impact of the event. It indicates that a trip to the stadium is out of reach for many fans, with only group match prices deemed acceptable by most.
The high prices for tickets do not seem to encourage fans to visit more public viewings. Only around a third of those surveyed want to see the games in public settings. Other reasons not to go include terror anxiety (20%) and feeling overwhelmed by large crowds (34%). Many fans opt for home watch parties with friends or visiting bars and pubs.
Of the participants, 14% tried to secure tickets through the UEFA portal, while nearly half were successful. However, about 10% continue to search for tickets, some of whom will turn to the black market. For German matches, more than 66% would spend over 180 euros, while around a quarter would consider reselling tickets on the black market for other teams' matches.
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Per Mertesacker, a former German national team player and University of Hohenheim graduate, emphasizes the importance of supporting local teams during the European Championship. Even Bastian Schweinsteiger, another German soccer legend, advocates for fans to watch matches at home or in public viewings in Stuttgart, Germany. This aligns with the findings from the University of Hohenheim's study, which showed that over 70% of Germans prefer to watch the tournament locally.
Despite the high ticket prices, some fans are still determined to attend matches at the University of Hohenheim's stadium in Baden-Württemberg during the European Football Championship. Christoph Kramer, another German footballer, encourages his fellow fans to consider group match tickets, which many find acceptable. However, the study also revealed that terror anxiety and feeling overwhelmed by large crowds deter many fans from attending public viewings.
In the lead-up to the European Championship, many German soccer fans have turned to home watch parties and visiting bars and pubs in Stuttgart to enjoy the matches. The study's findings suggest that the black market might see an increase in demand for tickets, especially for German matches, with more than 66% of participants willing to spend over 180 euros for tickets and around a quarter considering reselling tickets on the black market for other teams' matches.
