Private equity firms Advent International and BC Partners have approached Germany’s DFL sporting organization about the possibility of acquiring a minority stake in Bundesliga International GmbH, which manages the media rights for Germany’s top two soccer divisions.
DFL officials will meet on Dec. 7 to discuss if they will pursue a sale process. Outside of Advent International and BC Partners, other potential bidders include:
- Bain Capital
- CVC Capital Partners
- General Atlantic
- KKR & Co.
Bundesliga bucks: Home to 2020 Champions League winner FC Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga’s international broadcast rights are valued at $285 million annually, according to Deloitte. Domestic rights were recently sold at a discount in the last sales cycle, and the DFL lost a deal with Middle Eastern broadcaster BeIN Sports in September worth about $237 million.
DFL isn’t the only soccer league shopping around media deals. This month saw Italy’s Serie A sell 10% of a new media company to Advent and CVC for roughly $2 billion. Vincent Labrune, president of French professional soccer’s governing body, recently suggested that France’s Ligue 1 is also considering creating a subsidiary to manage its commercial rights.
![[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Dec 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; United States of America President Donald Trump, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney watch from the stands during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/USATSI_27745262_168416386_lowres-scaled.jpg?quality=100&w=1024)
