The Champions Hockey League is and remains no million-dollar business. For the ZSC Lions, advancing to the semi-finals for the first time is not only important in sporting terms, but also economically.
"It's profitable from the semi-finals onwards. That applies to all clubs in Europe," says Peter Zahner, the long-time CEO of the ZSC Lions, when asked whether money can be made from the Champions Hockey League today.
Just like 15 years ago, when the Zurich team won the Champions League and raked in 2.5 million francs gross. But the times are not comparable. Although the competition had the same name back then, it was held under the umbrella of the international association. However, because the product proved impossible to refinance, the powerful sponsors dropped out after just one year.
Not a goldmine
Since the European club competition was relaunched eleven years ago, the clubs have had to bake smaller rolls. Unlike in football, the European Cup is not a goldmine in ice hockey. One reason for this is the massively lower premiums.
In the current campaign, the ZSC Lions have so far received 120,000 euros from the Champions Hockey League: 65,000 euros as an entry fee, 15,000 euros for reaching the knockout round and 20,000 euros each for advancing to the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively. A further 120,000 euros each will be awarded for reaching the final and winning the title. The winner can therefore pocket a maximum of 360,000 euros. By way of comparison, Young Boys' starting fee alone was more than fifty times higher this year at 18.6 million euros.
A second major source of income for the clubs is ticket sales, which can be used to earn money in the Champions Hockey League. However, these are still at a modest level. Full stadiums like in football are wishful thinking, although the sporting entertainment value is high. In the five home games, the average attendance for the ZSC Lions was just under 4,000; in the National League, an average of over 11,000 fans wanted to see the Swiss champions.
"It's difficult to explain," says Peter Zahner. Unlike in football, top European teams don't have big-sounding names. "They're not big brands like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Manchester City," says Zahner. "People don't know enough about European field hockey."
Travel as a major cost driver
The fact is that many fans are not prepared to spend extra money on Champions Hockey League matches. And this has negative financial consequences for the clubs if income and expenditure do not balance each other out.
"Travel is the main cost driver," explains Zahner. "With just under 7,000 spectators, we are in the positive zone purely in terms of the quarter-final against Eisbären Berlin." Much depends on the destination. "For the away game in Berlin, we were able to take a scheduled flight and the luggage went by land."
This was more complicated in the group stage. "We played in Sweden and Finland and had to take a charter flight so that it was logistically and time-wise possible to play two games within three days," explains Zahner. Compared to scheduled flights, the cost of a charter flight is much higher.
Depending on the opponent, a club can be hit harder in this respect. "But it's not a wishful thinking game," says Zahner. "You also have to have a bit of luck in the group stage."
Short distances in the semi-final
From this perspective, the away game in the semi-final against league rivals and defending champions Genève-Servette is a blessing for the Lions. And even more so for Swiss ice hockey, as it means that a club from the National League will once again be in the final, just like last year.
And how does Peter Zahner see the future of the Champions Hockey League? "That's difficult to say. A lot certainly depends on whether the contract with the marketing company can be extended and on what terms." The partnership with Zug-based agency Infront runs until the end of the 2027/28 season. "From a purely sporting point of view, I'm convinced by the product, including the entertainment value," says Zahner. "There has been a slight increase in spectator numbers. But this trend must continue."