Photo by Jürgen Fromme - firo sportphoto/Getty Images

It looks like weeks of fan protests have paid off. After several weeks of protest throughout the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, the DFL?s plan for outside investment has fallen through. For those who prefer to watch the Bundesliga for sport rather than backroom business deals, the DFL?s investor plan can be explained as follows:
On December 11, 2023, the company that runs the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL), voted in favor of a plan that saw the league sell 8% of licensing revenue from all commercial rights for 20 years to an outside investor. That lump sum would be used to improve the league with 40% going towards digitalization, 45% going to improve the infrastructure of the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga teams, and 15% being split amongst the clubs for their use. The investment was expected to see a sum of around 1 billion USD be given to the leagues. La Liga completed a similar deal in 2021 but for a substantially longer period, 50 years.
Photo by Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images

The DFL put in measures to protect the Bundesliga including buy-back options, a shorter period when compared to La Liga?s deal, and provisions that maintain any investor will not have voting power in DFL meetings. These provisions got the divisive deal passed by the exact majority (24 of 36 clubs) needed to pass it. It is important to note, h...