There are unlikely to be any gaps in Marc Lenz and Steffen Merkel’s schedule in the coming weeks. The two managing directors of the German Football League would like to conclude the billion-dollar deal with an external investor by the end of March next year. The German Press Agency answers the most important questions.
Who is the DFL negotiating with?
A total of six companies have expressed their interest. The discussions are already underway and should now be intensified. According to Marc Lenz, all potential partners have accepted the guidelines set by the DFL. “We will discuss joint business planning within the key points in detail with the bidders and examine the desired added value of a partner,” said Lenz and announced: “We will continue the process with several interested parties.” According to ARD information, three offers are considered particularly promising.
What does the DFL plan to do with the money?
600 million euros are to flow into a package of various measures for digitalization and internationalization. These include, among other things, setting up our own streaming platform in order to create competition for bidders, especially abroad, expanding foreign marketing and legal protection against piracy. 100 million euros are earmarked for funding foreign trips for Bundesliga clubs. The remaining 300 million euros serve as reserves for paying off the investor shares in the first six to seven years.
How high are the fees for a future investor?
It is envisaged that the 36 professional clubs will have to forego a maximum of eight percent of the income from media rights for 20 years upon conclusion of the contract. These will be reassigned next year for the 2025/26 to 2028/29 seasons. Steffen Merkel announced that new formats, offers and perspectives will be developed “in order to support our media partners even more in making the right offer for fans of all generations.” For the future, the DFL hopes for increasing revenues to offset the obligation to the investor. “We will be able to offer a significantly improved media product in 2024,” said Merkel. “We will go into the tender with confidence.”
How do the fans feel about the billion dollar deal?
The majority reject the entry of an investor. “Money is above all else. The uniqueness of German football is being thrown overboard for a hopeless rat race with the Premier League,” criticized the “Our Curve” alliance. Most supporters fear that the investor will exert intensive influence and thus distort competition. Merkel promised to handle the mandate “very responsibly.” And Lenz assured: “There are red lines that will not be crossed.”
