Private equity firms Blackstone, CVC Capital Partners and EQT are all lodging bids for a minority stake in the Bundesliga’s media rights business, according to Bloomberg.

(Un)confirmed:

• Advent International also interested in deal
• German Football League (DFL) seeking bids of up to €1 billion (US$1.1 billion) in return for a stake of as much as eight per cent
• Bidders must come from Western nations, ruling out investment from the Middle East or China
• DFL reserves the right to exclude suitors that have a stake of more than ten per cent in a rival league
• Bidders are also bound to commit to an eight-year minimum holding period

Context:

This is the Bundesliga’s third attempt to raise external capital, having first begun the process in 2021, only for teams to push back on both occasions. DFL co-chief executives Marc Lenz and Steffen Merkel, who replaced Donata Hopfen in June, said in August that they were hopeful of resuming discussions to bring in extra funds to drive growth and compete with other elite European soccer leagues.

Coming next:

The bids were reportedly due on 30^th November and are set to be presented at a meeting of Germany’s 36 soccer clubs across the top two divisions on 11^th December.  

Get access to richer content, exclusive reports, unparalleled business intelligence, and community benefits to help you navigate the next frontier of sport and make more informed decisions with a SportsPro+ Premium membership. Discover more here.