Germany / DFL: clubs agree to a 20-year "strategic marketing partnership" with an external investor

"The Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga clubs have voted in favour of a strategic marketing partnership at league level at today’s DFL Members Assembly," announced the German professional league on 11/12/2023. 24 of the 36 professional clubs approved the DFL Executive Committee's motion, which was the minimum required for it to be adopted.

DFL executives are therefore now in a position to negotiate with potential investors to create a new company that will bring together "the global media rights and other commercial rights (i.e. central licensing partnerships and sponsorships at league level)". "Through its minority interest in the company, the partner will receive a maximum of 8% of the licensing revenue from the exploitation of the DFL’s commercial rights for 20 years, the duration of the licence agreement," said the body, which expects the process "to be completed by the end of March 2024."

A similar proposal, which involved selling a larger share - estimated at 12.5% - of a new commercial company to an external investor, was rejected by the German professional clubs at the DFL's…