Bayern Chief Critiques Bundesliga Rivals for Lack of Global Presence
Bayern chief blasts Bundesliga rivals for “staying at home” as global race leaves Germany behind
Rouven Kasper did not bother with diplomacy. On the eve of Bayern Munich’s latest money-spinning tour of Asia, the club’s marketing director took aim not at foreign rivals, but at his own league.
While the German champions packed their bags for South Korea and Hong Kong, Kasper painted a stark picture: a Bundesliga content to sit on the sofa while the rest of Europe racks up air miles, fans and broadcast deals.
If you do nothing, you will get nothing
Speaking to Sky Sports, Kasper laid out the reality in blunt terms. After the season ended, RB Leipzig went abroad. This summer, only Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are on global tours, with Paderborn due to fly to the United States in September.
“That is far too little,” he warned. “Bundesliga clubs need to think more strategically.”
The contrast with England irritates him. Premier League sides hop from continent to continent every summer, deepening their presence in markets where German clubs remain occasional guests.
“The English travel the world, and that means the German clubs have to be proactive too,” Kasper said. “You cannot stay at home and then complain about declining revenues. If you do nothing, you will get nothing.”
The message could hardly be clearer: German football, in his view, has to cross borders or accept being left behind.
A shrinking share of the global pie
Kasper’s frustration is rooted in hard numbers. The Bundesliga currently pulls in around 218 million euros from international television rights, rising to 302 million euros when sponsorships are included. For a league of its quality and tradition, those figures are modest.
They look even smaller in comparison. The Premier League generates roughly ten times as much from its international contracts. La Liga brings in about three times the Bundesliga’s total.
That gap is not just an abstract financial chart. It shapes how often German clubs appear on screens in the United States, Japan or India, how many shirts they sell in Jakarta or São Paulo, and how many young fans grow up with a Bundesliga team as their second club.
Kasper also highlighted a worrying trend: media revenues are already slipping in key territories.
“It is unfortunate that the decline in media revenues in countries such as the United States and Japan has become a reality,” he said. For him, that downturn is not an excuse to retreat, but a reason to act. It “is an additional reason for the league association to work with us to find strategic mechanisms to boost activities, because Bayern Munich cannot travel everywhere on its own.”
The implication is sharp. Bayern are carrying the flag, but they cannot carry an entire league.
Bayern on the road again
While others hesitate, Bayern move. Their tenth summer tour of Asia is already under way, a familiar blend of marketing push and pre-season preparation.
The itinerary underlines the club’s intent. The team will be based on Jeju Island in South Korea before heading to Hong Kong, staying in Asia until 8 August. On the pitch, they will face Jeju SK on 4 August and Aston Villa on 7 August, two friendlies that double as showcases for sponsors, broadcasters and local supporters.
Off the pitch, every open training session, every fan event, every sponsor activation feeds into Bayern’s long-term plan: anchor the club in markets where the Bundesliga as a whole still feels like a visiting act.
New frontiers: South America and South-East Asia
Kasper finished by sketching out Bayern’s next steps abroad. “Our target markets are clearly defined,” he said. In the Americas, the club has so far concentrated on North and Central America, but the gaze is shifting. “South America is becoming increasingly interesting.”
Asia, too, remains central. Bayern have long had a presence in China and other established markets, but Kasper pointed towards a new wave of focus countries: India, Indonesia and Thailand. These are vast, football-obsessed nations where loyalty is still up for grabs and where the Premier League already enjoys a powerful foothold.
For Bayern, that means “undertaking new ventures there” – more tours, more partnerships, more visibility. For the rest of the Bundesliga, it poses a simple choice.
Either they join that push and build a truly global league, or they keep staying at home and watch the gap to England and Spain grow wider with every passing summer.
