December 21 – German giants Borussia Dortmund have extended a long-term deal with Lagardère Sports, the sports and entertainment agency subsidiary of media conglomerate Lagardère Group.
Lagardère Sports’ marketing partner mandate will now run until June 2026. The French group first teamed up with the Rurh team in 1999, taking over the sales of the Bundesliga club’s national and international advertising and sponsorship deals as well as marketing their media and hospitality rights.
The new agreement will begin in July 2020. Borussia Dortmund’s chief financial officer Thomas Tress said that the new deal will include “significantly improved conditions” and from that point onwards “the marketing agency [Lagardère] will no longer participate in the proceeds from centrally marketed media rights”.
“We’re delighted to have found a very good solution that is in the interests of Borussia Dortmund and enables us to continue our cooperation with a reliable, competent and strong partner in the long term,” said Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke. “For years, we’ve been growing in all areas of revenue. In the field of sponsorship, we will soon be crossing the revenue threshold of €100 million for the first time.”
Watzke’s concerns this season have been predominantly on the field. Peter Bosz was brought in at the start of the season to replace Thomas Tuchel, who had fallen out of favour with the Dortmund board. But the much heralded Dutch coach failed to deliver with Dortmund dropping in the Bundesliga rankings and failing to progress from their Champions League group.
Newly appointed coach Peter Stöger has moved Dortmund up to third position in the table following their 2-1 win at home against TSG Hoffenheim. But if €100 million has been a barrier to breakthrough for Dortmund, so have Bayern Munich who beat them 2-1 in the last 16 of the German Cup last night.
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