Germany: clubs may market the the shirt sleeve space independently from 2017-18

The DFL will permit the 36 clubs in the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga to market the space on the left sleeve of the official kits from the 2017-18 season, the league announced at its General Assembly in Frankfurt (GER), on 02/12/2015.

The German logistics services company Hermes is the major partner of the DFL until the end of the 2016-17 season. The company pays an annual amount estimated at €8m to affix its logo on the left sleeve of the shirts of the 36 German clubs in the top two division. With this new decision, the league will allow each club to negotiate and commercialise its shirt sleeve space independently. The current regulation only allows the individual commercialisation of the main shirt sponsor, and does not allow partners to commercialise the back of the shirt, on the upper chest areas or the shorts.

The 18 Bundesliga clubs have generated €640.4m in cumulative sponsorship revenues during the 2013-14 season. This total represents 26.18% of the total cumulative revenues of the top division clubs, according to data from the DFL. The Bundesliga shirt sponsorship contracts…