German soccer’s DFL body has entered a strategic partnership with Adidas that will see the sportswear giant invest €100 million ($117 million) into the top-flight Bundesliga and second-tier Bundesliga 2, while also extending its ball supply contract with the league.
As part of the multi-faceted tie-up, Adidas will provide the DFL with a loan facility of €100 million, ending the Bundesliga’s long search for outside investment.
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The DFL has described the agreement as an “attractive financing model, which will help to support its own business goals as well as the positive development of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2.”
The DFL Executive Committee has “unanimously adopted a corresponding framework agreement following very constructive negotiations between the management of DFL and Adidas.”
The long-term investment objectives and the use of funds to strengthen central marketing will be jointly decided by the DFL Executive Committee and the 36 clubs of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2.
DFL CEO Marc Lenz said: “With Adidas and the Bundesliga, two major German institutions are moving into the future together – a strong partnership with a particularly strategic focus. For the DFL and all clubs, sustainable investments are essential to secure the future viability and competitiveness of German professional football.
“Adidas – as a global brand that, like the Bundesliga, is deeply rooted in Germany – is supporting this endeavour in an outstanding way.”
The DFL has been seeking outside investment for several years, but previous plans to bring in a private equity partner were thwarted on multiple occasions by teams and fans.
Most recently, in 2024, the league body shared plans to bring in an external equity partner – which would have taken a share of up to 8% in the broadcast rights of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 over 20 years, for around €1 billion – but was ultimately scrapped following mass fan protests.
The DFL had been aiming to use the investment and presence of a major financial backer to springboard the Bundesliga to a more lucrative broadcast deal to keep it in step with the English Premier League and other top European soccer competitions.
The league had hoped to use 40% of the generated revenue for digitalization and 45% to improve the infrastructure of the 36 teams. The remaining 15% would have been free to use by the individual clubs.
A majority of the DFL’s supervisory board had voted in favor of seeking out a new strategic marketing partnership in November 2023, with Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs then supporting the idea – 24 out of 36 clubs voted it through – a month later.
Overall, this process marked the third time that the DFL had sought outside investment in its media rights – with the prior two attempts (the last concluded in May 2023) also abandoned following fan protests.
In addition, Adidas has extended its contract as the official match ball supplier for the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 leagues for another four years through to and including the 2029-30 season.
The initial agreement, announced in March 2025, was not due to start until the 2026-27 campaign and was set to run through 2029-30.
Official Adidas match balls will now be used in Germany’s top two divisions, as well as the Supercup and the relegation play-offs for at least eight years.
The brand will replace German sportswear and equipment manufacturer Derbystar, which has been the supplier since the start of 2018-19.
Bjørn Gulden, CEO of Adidas, stated: “Adidas has always had close ties to German football. That is why we are committed to playing an active role in shaping the future of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 through innovation, reliability, and long-term commitment, both on and off the pitch.
“We are entering into a partnership with the DFL that takes things to a whole new level. We look forward to a great future together.”
The German sportswear heavyweight has had a long-standing presence in domestic soccer, most notably as a kit supplier of 35-time Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Adidas is also one of several key strategic shareholders in Bayern, holding an 8.33% stake.
Despite the need for outside investment, German soccer is in a healthy financial position, with recent figures from the 2024-25 campaign showing record collective revenue of €6.33 billion across the 36 Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs.
That figure is up 7.9% on the of €5.87 billion the league reported from the 2023-24 season, powered by the Bundesliga, which accounted for of €5.12 billion of the overall figure, while the 2. Bundesliga surpassed of €1 billion in total revenue for the first time.
Co-chief executives Lenz and Steffen Merkel head up a newly restricted DFL in 2026, with the body reorganizing its corporate structure, centralizing domestic and international media rights, commercial partnerships, and other business activities under a new wholly-owned subsidiary.
While the DFL parent company (DFL GmbH) continues to manage the top-level organizational functions of the league and its constituent clubs, the new subsidiary encompasses all media rights and digital coverage rights negotiations, commercial partnership deals, and marketing agreements.
The new unit is led by Merkel, while Lenz maintains a focus on DFL GmbH.
