• Loading stock data...
Sunday, July 13, 2025

Private Equity Firms Are Taking a Shot on European Soccer

  • In November, Italy’s Serie A sold 10% of a new media company for roughly $2 billion.
  • Bundesliga, Germany’s top league, recently offered a minority stake in a new digital media company for $362.7 million.
Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports
Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports

Struggling European soccer leagues found new fans over the summer as they looked to buoy their balance sheets. 

Soccer has been hit hard by the loss of games and lack of ticket sales and match-day revenues, and private equity firms have looked to invest in the sport by buying stakes in leagues’ media businesses. 

“It shows that the sports market remains attractive with opportunities for private equity investors,” said Clive Reeves, PwC senior sports business advisory manager. 

Vrushank Nayak

Bundesliga, Germany’s top league, recently offered a minority stake in a new digital media company for $362.7 million, attracting multiple private equity firms.

Deutsche Fussball Liga, the body that runs Germany’s top two divisions including Bundesliga, has gotten initial interest from more than 20 private equity firms in the league’s new venture, according to Financial Times. The company will sell Bundesliga’s international rights contracts, data services and other commercial propositions, alongside rolling out an international online subscription service.

Apollo, Bain Capital, Blackstone Group, Carlyle, Goldman Sachs Principal Investment and a joint effort between Endeavor and Silver Lake, are just some of the firms and groups looking to invest. The new company will not control the league’s domestic TV rights, which are worth over $1.3 billion a season.

Advent International and CVC Capital Partners, who also expressed interest in the Bundesliga opportunity, have also made investments in other European soccer media businesses. 

In November, Italy’s Serie A sold 10% of a new media company to Advent and CVC for roughly $2 billion. Alongside state-backed Italian fund FSI, the private equity firms will use the 10% stake in the new unit to handle the league’s media rights. 

Following the Serie A deal, clubs in Italy’s second-tier league, Serie B, have also unanimously voted in favor of forming a new media company to manage the league’s marketing and broadcasting rights. 

Vincent Labrune, the president of French professional soccer’s governing body, recently suggested that France’s Ligue 1 is considering creating a subsidiary to manage its commercial rights.

The push by private equity firms is a bet on the digital side of the media businesses as consumer behavior shifts, something further accelerated by the pandemic. With fewer to no fans in the stadium, leagues and teams are looking at digital content to maintain that connection with fans. 

And with private equity money, the leagues hope to improve their content production quality to make it appealing to a global audience.

“Football [soccer] is a truly global sport,” Reeves said. “This should make the leagues stronger depending on the collaboration and alignment between the stakeholders.”

As soccer, along with the broader sports world, moves towards larger digital investments, the collaborative business model between private equity firms and leagues may become even more prominent. 

“The logic of being present in different parts of business is that it creates a synergy,” Reeves said. 

The synergy between leagues and the media businesses that make content for them can not only generate more value for the leagues but also for the private equity firms in the long run.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
NFL

30 NFL Second-Rounders Still Unsigned With Camps Set to Open

Saturday is the earliest rookie report date for training camp.
Cobh Ramblers
exclusive

Ireland’s Ramblers Latest Soccer Club to Gain U.S. Owner

The Ramblers play in the League of Ireland First Division.

Featured Today

Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
Jonathan Mariner

Former MLB CFO Jumps to PE, Says Teams Are Undervalued

Mariner worked in Major League Baseball for 24 years.
March 20, 2025

Nike Struggles Continue, but Signs of Turnaround Appear

The embattled company beats tepid expectations in both revenue and earnings.
James Harden
April 24, 2025

Adidas Posts Big Profits in First Quarter Without Yeezy

Profits and sales are up after selling off remaining Yeezys last year.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Oracle Park
March 18, 2025

S.F. Giants Selling Stake to Private Equity to Pay for Facility Upgrades

The team said the cash would not be used to grow payroll.
Aug 11, 2024; Paris, France; Medals are carried out on Louis Vuitton trays after the women's volleyball gold medal match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at South Paris Arena
February 16, 2025

LVMH’s New Push: World’s Most Powerful Luxury Group Is Coming for Sports

LVMH is making long-term deals—and they’re not done.
February 14, 2025

DraftKings Turns First Full-Year Profit, Stock Up 47% in 2025

The company’s sports betting business continues to grow despite headwinds.
Billie Jean King
February 13, 2025

Billie Jean King: ‘Billionaires, Not Millionaires’ Are Fueling Women’s Sports Boom

Billie Jean King wants more women involved in team ownership, too.