The German Federal Cartel Office has approved Deutsche Fußball Liga’s (DFL) planned acquisition of a minority stake in sports streaming service Dyn. The football league will take around 6.5% of the shares in Dyn Media, joining a shareholder group that also includes retail giant Schwarz Group and media company Axel Springer.
Dyn Media operates streaming service Dyn, specialising in sports other than football, such as handball, basketball, volleyball and hockey. The company was co-founded by former DFL CEO Christian Seifert, who will remain a shareholder. Following a capital increase, Schwarz Group – parent company of retail chains Lidl and Kaufland – and Axel Springer will each hold 42.5% of the shares, while Seifert and the DFL will own the remaining stakes.
The European Commission had already approved Schwarz Group’s participation earlier this year. Cartel Office President Andreas Mundt said the new shareholder structure raises no competition concerns: “The participation does not create a market position that would be problematic from a competition perspective. DFL’s access to Dyn as a technical service provider also does not strengthen its position in the allocation of football media rights.”
The authority added that the decision does not affect its assessment of the central marketing of Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga media rights. With the new capital and shareholder structure, Dyn aims to accelerate its national and international expansion, open new business opportunities, and enhance its media technology capabilities.