Sport

Bundesliga caves to fan and club backlash over €1bn media rights deal

German football remains one of the last major leagues without foreign investment

CVC had valued the business at €12.5 billion, while Blackstone has pegged it at €11.9 billion. Picture: Lorraine O'Sullivan

Backlash from fans and clubs has led to Germany’s football league cancelling a potential €1 billion media rights deal with private equity firms.

“In view of current developments, a successful continuation of the process no longer seems possible,” Germany’s football league, DFL Deutsche Fussball Liga, professional football’s governing body, said in a statement Wednesday.

German football will now remain one of the last holdouts to foreign investment, with its clubs protected from full takeovers, and ...