SOCCER
The United States open the door to the German Bundesliga
An agreement between the German Football League (DFL) and Relevant Sports, an American company, has been reached.
The United States is continuing its efforts to bring soccer within its borders. The German Football League, which oversees the Bundesliga, has announced that it has reached a partnership agreement with Relevent Sports.
Relevent, a U.S.-based organization, gained notoriety after filing a lawsuit against FIFA, pushing for league matches to be played outside of their national federations’ territories. As a first step in this partnership, the Bundesliga plans to open new offices across the Americas.
Relevent will support the DFL in content creation, marketing, public relations, and sponsorship across the United States, Mexico, and parts of Latin America. However, the primary goal is for Relevent to play a key role in negotiating the renewal of Bundesliga television rights in North America. Currently, the Bundesliga has a deal with ESPN through 2026, valued at $30 million per season—a modest sum compared to the $450 million the Premier League receives from NBC or the $175 million LaLiga receives from Disney.
Could we see Bundesliga games in the United States?
Despite the potential benefits, the Relevent partnership has raised concerns within Germany. While some countries are advocating for regular-season games to be held abroad, there are fears in Germany that this deal may pressure the Bundesliga to follow suit. The Bundesliga has long upheld its ideal of soccer as a key part of society, exemplified by the “50+1″ rule, which requires that clubs retain majority control when forming new limited companies.
In a statement, the league said that they are “breaking new ground in international marketing to further grow interest in and the popularity of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 in the Americas.”
“Together with leading multinational media, sports and entertainment group Relevent, the DFL will significantly expand its marketing and sales activities in the region — including North, Central, and South America as well as the Caribbean — over the coming years.”
German fans have historically resisted attempts by the Bundesliga to innovate, often boycotting such proposals. The most notable example is the “tennis ball protest,” and more recently, fans opposed the sale of 20% of the Bundesliga’s TV rights to private equity firm CVC, fearing long-term consequences for the league’s future.
So far, no issues have arisen from the Relevent partnership. Initially, the U.S. company will focus on marketing the Bundesliga in North America. However, concerns remain that Relevent, given its past actions, may push for more radical changes, such as bringing Bundesliga matches to the U.S. - much like its efforts to bring La Liga games overseas, as confirmed by La Liga president Javier Tebas.
For now, the idea of moving Bundesliga games abroad is not being considered. However, other competitions, like the German Supercup—which pits the Bundesliga champion against the DFB-Pokal winner—could potentially be played in the U.S. “It could be an option to hold the Supercup in the U.S. or another country. We have to try new things. This could be an example,” Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro told ESPN.