Young, fiercely loyal, 48 per cent female – how Borussia Dortmund’s fanbase is helping drive its success in China

When Covid struck last year Borussia Dortmund became the first football club to deliver a digital fan viewing party in China. The format, suggested by its Nanjing fan club, proved hugely popular, with 2.9 million viewers in China.

BVB has continued to be innovative in China, with a fan event in Beijing marking the final stop on the club’s virtual summer tour ‘09 Days Around The World’ in July.

Benjamin Wahl, Dortmund’s head of China, tells Off The Pitch that it benefits from a young and mostly loyal fanbase in China.

The club reached 3 million Weibo followers in January, and also engages with its fans through its membership programme run via WeChat.

This article is part of a series looking at how European clubs are expanding and engaging with their global fanbases.