Agency Report –
The German Football League (DFL) has become a new shareholder in the streaming service Dyn, a media company owned by former DFL managing director Christian Seifert.
The completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, Dyn said in a statement on Wednesday.
The move is “part of the DFL’s corporate strategy and responsibility to also examine new marketing options for the Bundesliga and the second division,” DFL managing director Steffen Merkel said in a statement.
“By investing in Dyn Media, we now have direct access as shareholders to a company whose expertise and modern technical solutions, we are convinced of, particularly for the creation and distribution of media products,” he added.
In addition to the DFL, retailer Schwarz Group, that operates stores under the Lidl and Kaufland brands, will also acquire a stake in the online broadcasters.
Together with media giants Axel Springer SE and Seifert himself, there will therefore be four shareholders in future.
After leaving the DFL, Seifert worked with Springer to set up Dyn. Its motto to date has been: “Everything except football.”
The paid streaming service currently has handball, basketball, volleyball, table tennis and hockey in its catalogue.
The investment of the DFL and the Schwarz Group, “paves the way for the further growth of Dyn Media,” Seifert said.
Springer and the Schwarz Group each hold an equal stake of around 42.5%. The two smaller shareholders are Seifert with around 9% and the DFL with around 6.5%.
Despite holding the smallest share, the DFL is making a strategic move.
Seifert has built up an infrastructure at Dyn with which the Bundesliga could theoretically broadcast games itself in the future.
Dyn is also an alternative to the tech company OneFootball, with which the league already operates as its own broadcaster in smaller foreign markets.
By Michael Rossmann
