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It not only serves as a venue for LASK and the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB), but has long since established itself as an event location and meeting place for sports, families, and business. As a driving force, the Raiffeisen Arena creates added value for the entire region, boosts tourism, and has a positive impact on the image of both the city and the state. In a recent study, the renowned German company SLC Management, a member of the FBIN Company Network, examined its regional economic effects.
The Raiffeisen Arena holds enormous significance in Austria – not only as a major draw for visitors, but also as a driver of the domestic economy and a brand asset for the region. After the purely macroeconomic effects of the stadium’s construction and ongoing operation (GDP, income, direct and indirect taxes) were analyzed last year, SLC Management has now focused on regional economic effects such as tourism, hospitality, advertising value, visibility, and image for the state, based on target-group-specific surveys, opinion research, and comprehensive data analysis.
According to the study, LASK and its stadium generate EUR 128.8 million in regional economic impact each year for the city of Linz and the state of Upper Austria. This places the club on par with established traditional German clubs such as Fortuna Düsseldorf (EUR 130.1 million) and well ahead of Dynamo Dresden (EUR 86.2 million) and 1. FC Magdeburg (EUR 82.2 million). The construction of the arena had previously generated a one-time regional economic impact of EUR 140 million.
Upper Austria Governor Thomas Stelzer explains: “This study demonstrates the power of sports as an asset for our location – and how crucial the Raiffeisen Arena is in that regard. It is more than just LASK’s home stadium: it is a key driver of business, tourism, and employment across the entire region. Thanks to the arena, thousands of people come to the greater Linz area, bringing additional purchasing power, foot traffic, and momentum. That makes it a major success factor not only for the club, but for all of Upper Austria. It shows that modern infrastructure is the foundation that allows sports to realize their full economic and social impact.”
More than 78,000 overnight stays per year generated by the Raiffeisen Arena
Numerous industries benefit from matchdays, daily operations, and events. This is particularly visible in the labor market: match operations create 186 direct jobs, in addition to 520 people working on matchdays in areas such as cleaning, technical services, hospitality, food service, and security. Third-party events resulted in 960 external workers in 2025, and the total employment effect amounts to approximately EUR 16.4 million.
More than EUR 20 million is attributable to hospitality and hotel-related effects. More than 78,000 overnight stays linked to matches, daily operations, and events at the Raiffeisen Arena account for around 7% of all overnight stays in Linz in 2024. The arena also contributes significantly in terms of revenue and investment effects, for example through contracts awarded to regional companies, as well as investments averaging EUR 14 million per year.
“As the study presented today clearly shows, the Raiffeisen Arena is of special importance to Upper Austria as a business location. This flagship project is delivering the expected momentum for Upper Austria,” says Reinhard Schwendtbauer, CEO of Raiffeisenlandesbank Upper Austria.
“The figures clearly show that the Raiffeisen Arena’s impact extends far beyond sports. With our home stadium, we are not only inspiring football fans, but also creating tangible added value for the city of Linz and the entire state of Upper Austria,” says LASK CEO Siegmund Gruber.
Josef Pröll, Chairman of the ÖFB Supervisory Board, adds: “Football has enormous economic importance in Austria as a whole, and especially here in Linz. Through our activities in professional and grassroots football, we contribute substantial amounts to the public and to the economy. With the Raiffeisen Arena – truly one of a kind – something has been created that once again underscores the economic importance of the region, the city itself, and Austria as a whole.”
Sustainable projects and social initiatives
The club is highly committed to CSR measures, for example in sustainability and a range of social projects. This includes working with partners and sponsors to operate a plastic-bottle-free stadium, cup donation initiatives, and a sustainable mobility concept including EV charging stations, as well as providing an accessible Raiffeisen Arena, offerings for families and children, and partnerships with social initiatives such as Upper Austria’s Children’s Cancer Aid, Lebenshilfe, and KickStart.
“For us at LASK, taking social responsibility is a given. We want to help connect people, drive sustainable development, and strengthen social projects for the long term,” explains CEO Gruber.
LASK as ambassador and city brand
What do people most strongly associate with the city of Linz? Ninety percent of LASK fans name their favorite club first, underscoring the club’s strong identification with the city. Among football fans across Austria, LASK ranks first as Linz’s flagship representative, and even among the general population, the club ranks third – behind the Danube and Linzer Torte – at around 31%.
Through their activities, the club and the arena significantly increase interest in and awareness of the entire region. As a city brand and ambassador for Upper Austria, they enhance the region’s attractiveness for tourists, skilled workers, families, and businesses. Without LASK and the Raiffeisen Arena, the city of Linz and the state of Upper Austria would need to spend around EUR 45 million per year on comparable nationwide advertising.
“The identified regional economic effects of LASK totaling EUR 128.8 million clearly show the special position LASK holds – not only for the regional economy and society, but also for Upper Austria’s sports landscape,” concludes Alfons Madeja, Head of the Study and Managing Partner of SLC Management.
About the economic impact study by SLC Management
Sports has extraordinary societal, social, and economic significance, reflected in the importance of sports organizations for their regions. These impacts – on society, economy, culture, and politics – can be evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively.
For better mutual understanding, an economic impact analysis provides a transparent and neutral picture of the services delivered by a club or event to a city or region. These effects should be taken into account in all partnership activities with public institutions.
The analysis of LASK’s economic impact was conducted using both secondary research and extensive primary research, including surveys of LASK fans, visiting fans, and the general population, with more than 5,600 respondents.
