• Loading stock data...
Saturday, October 12, 2024
The Best Employers in Sports survey is now open! Take the survey

Foreign Investors Could Be Flocking to German Pro Soccer Soon. Here’s Why

  • Top German soccer clubs could bring on private equity investment soon.
  • The Bundesliga generates less than half the revenue of England’s Premier League.
Bundesliga
DFL

Germany’s top soccer teams aren’t allowed to be majority-owned by holding companies or investment entities like many of their counterparts throughout Europe. But private equity money appears to be on its way into the league thanks to an evolving media rights strategy.

A vote to allow a financial investor to take a stake in a German Football League media company narrowly received the necessary approval on Monday. Sources told Reuters that 24 of the 36 clubs across the top two Bundesliga divisions voted yes to the measure, which required two-thirds approval.

The company or companies that will invest in German soccer are still to be determined, but potential suitors include private equity firms like Advent International, Blackstone, Bridgepoint, CVC Capital Partners, and EQT. German officials are seeking more than $1 billion for an 8% stake in the new company.

Additional funding would help Bundesliga clubs start closing the gap with Premier League teams, which bring in double the revenue of Germany’s top clubs, according to Deloitte. The most recent figures for Europe’s top five soccer leagues show annual EPL revenue at close to $7 billion, with the Bundesliga generating more than $3 billion.

An investment deal could be completed within the coming months, according to the Bundesliga.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

ESPN Expands ‘Monday Night Football’ on ABC With Six Additional Games

The 2024 slate of dual-network NFL coverage now looks much more like last year’s.

Jaguars Doubling Down on London Games. Is That a Good Thing?

The Jaguars arrive in London on Friday for a 10-day stay.

College Football’s Most-Hyped Weekend: Networks Set to Cash In

NBC gets No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Oregon, while ABC has No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 13 LSU.
Sep 13, 2024; New York, New York, USA; United States men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino poses for a photo with chief executive officer and secretary general JT Batson, sporting director Matt Crocker, president Cindy Parlow Cone, and MLS commissioner Don Garber after a press conference introducing him as the new head coach for the United States men's national team at Warner Bros. Discovery Hudson Center.

U.S. Soccer, Flush With Cash, Lays Off Dozens

The nonprofit federation is expecting nine figures in revenue this fiscal year.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Inside CFB’s Biggest Day of the Year

0:00

Featured Today

Sep 21, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) walks through Buff Walk before the game against the Baylor Bears at Folsom Field.
opinion

The NIL Era Is a Wild West. Is Anyone Surprised?

Amateurism is dead and college athletes are professionals. How’s that working out?
October 11, 2024

‘We’re Ready for FBS’: Sacramento State Is Serious About the Jump

How the Hornets got themselves on the short list of potential call-ups.
Duante' Abercrombie News Ch.4 interview
October 9, 2024

Tennessee State’s Ambitious Plan to Launch an HBCU Hockey Program

TSU has big plans, but the university is facing an existential dilemma.
October 8, 2024

Ryan Smith Sees Salt Lake City As Next Vegas-Like Sports Town

Utah Hockey Club’s owner says all the pieces are falling into place.

WNBA Plans Playoff Shake-Up, Reveals List of Expansion Targets

Engelbert made the announcement before the start of the 2024 WNBA Finals.
Natalie Nakase
October 10, 2024

Valkyries Make Natalie Nakase First Female Asian American WNBA Head Coach 

The Valkyries will join the WNBA in 2025.
October 11, 2024

New York’s Baseball Resurgence Sets Stage for LCS Drama

The high-spending Mets and Yankees now represent half of MLB’s final four.
Sponsored

Rivalries Reign Across Red River and the Beltway, London Calling

According to data from TickPick, renewed battles between bitter foes are spiking ticket prices.
October 10, 2024

Silver Defends NBA’s Second Apron As Competitive-Balance Tool

The commissioner points to an ongoing run of parity across the league.
Jun 25, 2024; Belmont Park, New York, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) shoots over New York Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot (22) in the first quarter of the Commissioner’s Cup Championship game at UBS Arena.
October 9, 2024

WNBA Finals Feature a Tale of Two Differing Success Stories

Joe and Clara Wu Tsai purchased the Liberty in 2019.
October 8, 2024

NBA GMs Rank Salary-Cap Apron As Rule That Needs to Change Most

Schedule changes finished second with 17% of the vote.
October 8, 2024

LIV Golf’s Shadow Looms Over Ryder Cup As Captains Address Challenges

Captains from both teams addressed LIV Golf’s impact on the 2025 event.