Germany: CVC & Blackstone, the last potential candidates for a strategic partnership with the DFL

The Luxembourg investment fund CVC Capital Partners and the American fund Blackstone are the last two candidates in the running to become the DFL's "strategic marketing partner," according to the German Professional Football League on 17/01/2024. A third candidate has been ruled out of the negotiations.

The Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga clubs voted in favour of such a partnership at league level at the DFL's members' meeting on 11/12/2023. 24 of the 36 professional clubs voted in favour of the league's executive committee's proposal, the minimum required for it to be adopted. The project aims to create a new company that will bring together global media rights and other commercial rights (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," explained the German body in December 2023.

"The next steps in the process and negotiations with the two potential…