CREDIT: Sportcal
German football’s governing body DFL (Deutsche Fußball Liga), which oversees the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, has announced a major restructuring of its corporate framework, aimed at streamlining its commercial and media operations.
Under the new structure, the DFL has created a wholly owned subsidiary that will centralize domestic and international media rights, commercial partnerships, digital rights, and marketing activities. The move is designed to strengthen the league’s long-term competitiveness in an increasingly globalized and complex sports business landscape.
Centralizing Commercial Power
While the DFL parent company (DFL GmbH) will continue to oversee top-level governance and coordination with clubs, the new subsidiary will serve as the hub for commercial growth. This means all negotiations related to broadcast rights, sponsorships, and digital innovation will now be handled under one roof.
The unit will be led by Steffen Merkel, one of the league’s co-chief executives. His counterpart, Marc Lenz, will remain focused on the DFL GmbH’s broader organizational responsibilities.
Additional leadership will come from Peer Naubert (currently CEO of Bundesliga International) and Biastian Zuber(head of DFL Digital Sports), ensuring that expertise across global media and digital engagement feeds directly into the new structure.
Why the Change Now?
Both Merkel and Lenz stressed that the demands on a league body have evolved dramatically since the DFL’s last structural overhaul in 2012.
- Financial and legal pressures: Global sports rights markets are more complex and competitive.
- Digital-first consumption: Media rights, international growth, and digital platforms are no longer separate silos.
- Club sustainability: Centralized commercial strength is critical for ensuring stability across both the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga.
Merkel noted that national rights sales, digital development, and international partnerships are increasingly interdependent: “The new subsidiary will bring commercial issues together to establish centralized marketing from a single source for a successful future.”
Strengthening Leadership
Alongside the new subsidiary, the DFL also announced the return of Philip Sagioglou, who has been appointed Executive Vice President and a member of the management board. Sagioglou, who left in 2023 after serving as Senior VP of Corporate Communications, will now oversee overall communications and corporate development, bringing continuity and deep institutional knowledge.
Sportcast Remains Core to Production
Despite the restructuring, Sportcast — the DFL’s long-standing production subsidiary — will continue to manage Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga broadcast feeds. It remains fully owned by the DFL Group, ensuring that central content production remains tightly integrated with the league’s operations.
What This Means for German Football?
The creation of a single commercial subsidiary reflects a broader trend across global sport: leagues consolidating rights management, sponsorships, and digital strategy to maximize revenue potential.
For the DFL, the benefits include:
- Unified negotiation power with broadcasters and sponsors.
- Stronger international positioning against rivals like the Premier League and LaLiga.
- Digital innovation tied directly into media distribution.
- Operational efficiency by breaking down silos between domestic and global business units.
The Bundesliga has long prided itself on fan-friendly policies and club stability, but the commercial gap with its European rivals has widened. This restructuring signals an intent to not just catch up, but to create a more agile, globally integrated media business.
Final Word
By centralizing its commercial functions, the DFL is attempting to future-proof the Bundesliga’s financial model. The new subsidiary underlines the league’s recognition that media, sponsorship, and digital growth must be coordinated as a single strategy if German football is to thrive on the world stage.
The coming years will reveal whether this restructuring can unlock the full commercial potential of one of football’s most storied leagues.
Read the Sportcal Article here
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