Germany’s soccer governing body is poised to kick off the sale of a stake in the Bundesliga’s media rights business that could fetch $2.9 billion, sources familiar with the matter said.
Deutsche Fussball Liga (DFL) plans to launch the formal sale process in early March, the sources told Reuters. One of the sources said DFL aims to find a buyer for “at least” 15% of the media rights business.
The holding company that controls the media rights is valued at between 15 and 18 billion euros, the sources said, meaning a 15% stake could be worth about 2.7 billion euros ($2.9 billion).
National soccer leagues in Europe are increasingly eyeing external funding around broadcasting arrangements as they look at ways to boost revenues and increase their global reach.
The Bundesliga is ranked as Europe’s second-biggest soccer league by revenue after England’s Premier League.
Source: Reuters.com