August 21 – The Bundesliga has won a long-running legal battle against online ticket exchange Viagogo over unfair commercial practices in Germany’s unauthorised secondary market. The league had its claim upheld in full.

After years of litigation through several courts, the Higher Regional Court of Munich found several of Viagogo’s practices misleading and in breach of German competition law.

The dispute dates to 2019, when the league, then operating as the DFL, warned fans against buying Supercup tickets on the platform, where they were being advertised before official sales had even begun.

Judges stated that “buyers must be able to clearly and unambiguously determine whether tickets are in fact already available, what services are covered by any guarantee, and who is selling the tickets.” Crucially, they added that “platforms must not create artificial scarcity in order to pressure customers into making quick purchasing decisions.”

Bundesliga chief executive Marc Lenz welcomed the outcome. “This decision is an important success for protecting fans and ensuring a fair ticket market,” he said. “It sends a clear message against questionable ticket offers and excessive prices.”

Several clubs, including St. Pauli and Union Berlin, have won similar cases recently.

The league isn’t declaring victory outright, though, warning that “significant transparency deficits continue to exist on many online marketplaces.”

It has backed proposed federal regulation requiring disclosure of original ticket prices, seller identities and safeguards against exploitative markups.

The context is a booming market worth protecting. In 2025/26, the 36 professional clubs sold a record 21.4 million tickets, the Bundesliga averaging 41,562 per match and a 96.1% average stadium capacity.

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