By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
The name “Jan Pommer” is synonymous with “financial fairly” in Euroleague, but in Germany he is the mastermind behind the roaring growth of BBL league. Eurohoops.net had the chance to talk to him about the secret of the German success and how it could be the tool for the growth of European basketball.
– Chris Fleming said in Eurohoops.net that the target of German BBL to become the number one domestic league in 2020 is possible. You have said during previous years you are in the right path. What else do you need to improve to reach your goal? Have you found difficulties to overcome other sports’ popularity? Is Spanish league so far away?
“The most important to dos are: higher tv presence, higher budgets and more international success, especially in Euroleague and Eurocup. Basketball is a sport with a huge potential in the German market but of course has to compete with soccer and others. Our advantages are: a young target audience and a very thrilling competition. Right now Liga Endesa is still far away but we are getting closer every year and are still striving for more”.
– Some years ago you forced German clubs to invest their 8% of their budget to their youth teams. Also, you changed the rule for the required number of German players in each team. Have you more plans in order to improve your league?
“Yes, several. We have first of all developed a five-year business plan and a mission statement that we strictly follow. We are currently step by step improving the framework: Clubs have to employ two fully paid coaches for young players, a full time marketing manager, a full time PR-Manager. The clubs have to take part in the young Bundesliga for under 16 and under 19 year old players. We have established a very rigid licencing system to support the clubs to plan in a serious manner and to avoid financial problems. We have rebranded the whole league´s communication by using a new logo. We are forcefully investing in marketing and new media (especially social media). We are supporting the clubs by bringing in experts from different areas for workshops. We are forcefully investing in the development of new and better referees and are working with before and after the games. With all these measures our clubs have established an attitude of ambition and hard work in order to reach our goals”.
– What could you suggest to leagues like the Greek and Italian that seems to be on decline and need immediately changes?
“It would be impolite and arrogant to make suggestions to these leagues that were working successfully decades ago already. From my point of view we still can learn a lot from other important leagues and do so by exchanging thoughts with them on a regular basis”.
– Like every year the last decade BBL made a new attendance record. The majority of the teams have small gyms that are almost full in every game. Does really Germans love basketball so much? Do you think that after these results you must change the limit for a team to play in BBL (3.000 seats now)?
“We have seen a rise in the popularity of Basketball every year and there is more to come, I am certain. EWE Baskets Oldenburg will have a new arena in April 2013 with a minimum of 6.500 spectators, Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt are pretty close to get the decision to build a multifunction arena with more than 10.000 seats – and also in Würzburg s. Oliver Baskets are thinking – with the help of the city – to build a new gym for 6.000 spectators in the next 2-3 years. And it would not be a surprise to learn that one day FC Bayern will need and build a new gym. Therefore I am of the opinion that a change of the limit is currently not necessary. Whether this approach has to be changed in 3-5 years: Perhaps”.
– The 18 BBL clubs have this year budget of about 70 million euro. Do you plan to use the financial fair play system to BBL to create a more solid and steady league?
“We already have a very rigid system in place that will help us to have a solid league. We will follow this path with great commitment. The league itself is very steady: The last three seasons the last minute of the last possible game decided about the championship”.
– How much the crisis in Europe has effected so far to German and European basketball?
“Our league – and I am very thankful for that – has not felt the impact of the crisis so far. We have grown by over 10% in budgets this season only. From my perception – which might not be completely accurate at times – some clubs in southern and eastern Europe are struggling”.
– Do you think that maybe the solution for bigger development of basketball in Germany and whole Europe is to create closed leagues, in BBL and Euroleague?
“In order to create the highest attractiveness possible especially in Germany it is necessary to have change in clubs. A league without the fight against relegation and for a second league without the thrill of promotion is less valuable. Therefore – although I see the idea of economical stability – I would adamantly vote in favor of open leagues. This is at the very center of the European, at least German sport tradition we should preserve and cultivate”.
– Do you have a fixed timetable for the financial fairplay? When do you thinκ that it will be approved and used by the Euroleague?
“We hope that a regulatory framework will be approved in summer by the shareholders of Euroleague. The process should start then. I am not prepared to impose any fixed timetable”.
– It’s a common secret in Europe that elite teams are losing money every year. How can this fact change when it’s something that has to do with the mentality of the owners and not with the business aspect of the sport?
“This is why we need financial fairplay and licencing rules for clubs to support them to start the process of break even. What is valid for every household (not spending more than you earn) has to be the role model for professional clubs, too. This is simply necessary to create a sustainability and by that create a denser, stronger and more interesting competition”.
– Do you believe that financial fairplay must go hand in hand with a more solid effort to maximize the Euroleague revenues? Do you think that Euroleague revenues can grow and will be compared some day to those of Europe top sports events like the UEFA Champions League?
“Euroleague revenues are satisfyingly high thanks to the good work of Euroleague staff and the clubs. But there is still room for improvement, from my point of view of course especially in the big economies like France and Germany. Euroleague and our league for example have to work hand in hand to improve the situation in Germany”.
– Will you also draw a line for the minimum budget that a team should have in order to be in the Euroleague?
“Clubs in Beko BBL have an average budget of 4 Million Euros. Right now from a German standpoint I do not see the necessity for a high minimum budget”.