As the new season looms, EHF Marketing looks back at record numbers for 2025/26

MEDIA RELEASE: Bigger, stronger, better — EHF Marketing, the marketing arm of the European Handball Federation (EHF), has drawn positive conclusions after evaluating the 2025/26 club competitions season. European club handball delivered record audiences, digital growth and unforgettable experiences on and off the court.

The successful 2025/26 season has shown a continued growth in many aspects — both on and off the court. The EHF club competitions truly delivered, not only through outstanding sporting performances, but also across media, digital platforms, live attendance, fan experience and commercial development.

Media and distribution

The interest in European club handball remains firmly on the rise. The continued growth across broadcast, streaming and digital platforms underlines the strong international appeal of European club handball and its ability to connect with audiences across markets and channels.

• a cumulative TV audience of more than 540 million for the EHF Champions League and the EHF European League;
• more than 40 broadcasters in more than 80 territories;
• a growth of 50 per cent year-on-year for EHFTV, EHF’s own streaming platform for worldwide coverage;
• a digital reach of 1.6 billion and 44 million social media engagements for the EHF Champions League competitions.

These figures demonstrate the growing visibility of European club handball and the increasingly diverse ways in which fans are following and engaging with the sport. The combination of established broadcast coverage, expanding streaming consumption and strong digital engagement continues to strengthen the international reach of the EHF club competition.

Strong demand for live handball

Growth is also the key word when it comes to fans attending matches. The EHF club competitions registered an attendance of 1.2 million over the 2025/26 season. The four final weekends alone contributed around 100,000 to that figure.

Both EHF FINAL4 events attracted record audiences: 20,022 fans per day filled the MVM Dome in Budapest for the final weekend of the EHF Champions League Women, and 20,122 at LANXESS arena in Cologne marked a new milestone for the final tournament of the men’s pinnacle in European club handball.

Its popularity showed again when 14,000 tickets for Cologne 2027 were sold within the first 24 hours of going on sale.

Growing audience figures were also noted at both EHF Finals events, the final weekends of the EHF European League — for the men in Hamburg and for the women in Dijon.

Content & storytelling

A significant part of the growth comes down to the ongoing efforts to evolve from match coverage to integrated storytelling across multiple platforms. The EHF’s flagship formats increasingly combine live sport, editorial coverage, digital storytelling and behind-the-scenes footage into one integrated content ecosystem. A telling example of this is the Match of the Week format, which has continued to enhance its content production while incorporating partner opportunities and club cooperation.

Building on this approach, more opportunities for exclusive and long-form content have been created, while the programme with content creators capturing footage throughout the season has been expanded. Their rich content is the valuable base for compelling storytelling. Dedicated long-form documentaries were produced around both EHF Champions League final weekends – including the first documentary following key players of the EHF FINAL4 Women. The films will be released around the start of the season 2026/27.

Final events and platform development

The EHF Champions League and EHF European League and their four premium final events offer a lot more than just the matches — for the clubs, partners, broadcasters, stakeholders, and fans.

The four final events again served as premium showcases for the EHF club competitions, combining elite sport with fan experience, hospitality, entertainment, media and partner activation. Across the season, partner integration increasingly moved from traditional branding towards fan-facing activations, content formats and integrated event experiences.

Looking ahead

The successful 2025/26 season provides the foundation for the next chapter of European club handball, beginning in September 2026. The new season will introduce a new playing system — with an increase of participating teams from 16 to 24 — for the EHF Champions League Men, while the EHF European League Men also starts in a revamped format.

Beyond the new competition formats, the 2026/27 season will also mark the next stage in the development of the EHF club competitions, with an evolving media and content ecosystem and an expanded role for EHF Marketing. With the start of the new European club handball season 2026/27 now approaching fast, the next chapter is about to begin.

photo © Uros Hocevar / kolektiff