Fortuna Düsseldorf free-ticket expansion continues but sporting dip tempers ambitions

On a cold afternoon in early February, 51,500 spectators watched Fortuna Düsseldorf beat SC Paderborn 2–1 at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in the 2. Bundesliga. Remarkably, none of them - whether season-ticket holders, first-time visitors or away fans - paid for admission.

When the initiative was launched in 2023, Jobst outlined an ambition to eventually offer all 17 home league matches free of charge within five years. Today, partly due to the club’s sporting decline, that timeline has been moderated.

“Considering the world right now, the financial situation around us, and the sporting situation of Fortuna, it’s not realistic to speak about 17 free matches within two or three years. It wouldn’t be economically responsible. I can assure you that we will go ahead with Fortuna For All, which is much more than free games,” Fortuna Düsseldorf CEO Alexander Jobst says. 

“From an economic perspective, we need to convince more partners to believe in this social business concept. We need patience. This is not just a project, but a long-term strategy.”

The match against Paderborn was the fourth of five free-entry fixtures this season under the club’s “Fortuna For All” initiative, launched in 2023/24. Since then, the number of free matches has increased by one each season, and more than 70,000 people applied online for tickets for this particular game.

When Fortuna launched the initiative, the objective was clear: reduce dependence on ticket revenue and replace it with long-term commercial partnerships. For a second-division club traditionally reliant on matchday income, the shift represents a structural rethink of the business model.

“Clubs, as rights holders, are under pressure to look beyond standard commercial streams. We had the courage to try something different with our sponsors. Now, our income streams from sponsors surpasses our income from TV rights for the first time,” he says. 

A central question, however, is whether sponsors will maintain their commitments if sporting results continue to falter. After narrowly missing promotion in 2023/24, Fortuna finished sixth last season and currently sit in the lower half of the table.

Jobst acknowledges that this has influenced the initiative’s progress.

“We do this with the overall goal of playing in the first division. If the product is struggling or having a bad time, it’s normal that everything around the club will be questioned and criticised. That’s what we’re experiencing this season. But we stick to our strategy, because we believe in it. And we clearly see it’s working,” Jobst says. 

Numbers on the rise

Despite the setbacks on the pitch, Jobst believes the strategy is delivering remarkable results.

“We’ve attracted new fans and created unforgettable experiences in a ‘sold-out’ stadium, which you don’t normally have in the second division,” Jobst says. 

“We’ve also been able to build long-term loyalty by increasing our members and securing commercial partners for the long term. And we have converted first-time visitors, who came to the stadium for free, into regular, paying visitors.”

According to the club, commercial partnership revenue rose 56 per cent from 2022/23 to 2024/25, with a further 10 per cent growth expected this season. Overall turnover increased 35 per cent, from €50 million to €70 million. Membership grew 30 per cent, while merchandise revenue rose 44 per cent. 

Around one third of newcomers return to the stadium, and the club have collected data from more than 200,000 applicants, providing a significant tool for fan engagement.

More than just free tickets

While the free-ticket aspect grabs headlines, the club insist the strategy is about much more than that. Fortuna For All” is framed as both a fan-engagement platform and a social responsibility project, designed to fill the stadium, strengthen ties to the local community and offer partners greater visibility and emotional connection than traditional sponsorship models.

Working with local businesses, Fortuna have linked the initiative to community development. As an example, one main partner committed additional funding last month to upgrade infrastructure and support women’s and youth football at the club.

“The brands we work with wouldn’t have signed long-term sponsorship contracts without Fortuna For All. We always have to balance risk and opportunity in football. I needed the financial guarantees to establish a five-year plan for these contracts, knowing we were giving away at least some matches for free,” says Jobst.

“We needed long-term commitments and exclusive stories behind them to activate the concept. And we’ll need even more partners in the future.”

The approach carries clear risks. Offering free admission could dilute perceived value or create expectations of continued free access. Jobst, however, argues that the value lies in the experience rather than the price.

“In principle, we’re handing over the first commercial pillar of the football club, which is the ticket itself. But the value of the ticket isn’t the price, it’s the experience of a full stadium. That atmosphere creates emotion. And when people feel that they’re more inclined to buy a scarf or a shirt,” he says.