After persistent fan protests, the German Football League (DFL) has cancelled the planned billion-dollar deal involving financial investor CVC's participation in media revenue. "In light of current developments, a successful continuation of the process no longer seems feasible", stated DFL Supervisory Board Chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke after an extraordinary meeting of the executive board in Frankfurt. The decision was unanimous.

This shatters the hopes of CVC Germany's chief, Alexander Dibelius. The private equity firm, already involved in France's Ligue 1 and Spain's La Liga, had sought an 8% stake in a newly created DFL subsidiary for media rights exploitation, despite vehement opposition from Bundesliga fans. CVC had proposed to pay 1 billion euros for this purpose, with the intention of directing the funds towards developing the Bundesliga's digital marketing abroad, in an effort to reduce the financial disparity with other European leagues like the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A. This plan is now off the table. CVC officially declined to comment on the matter. However, sources close to the bidder stated that they accept the DFL's decision and take it "in stride."

Watzke said: "Even though there is a large majority for the business necessity of the strategic partnership, German professional football finds itself in the midst of an acid test that not only leads to major conflicts within the league association between clubs but also within clubs themselves between professionals, coaches, club officials, (...) causing significant disruptions that increasingly jeopardize game operations (...)." The viability of reaching a contract agreement "can no longer be ensured."

While Bundesliga clubs had granted the executive board the mandate for the deal in December with the necessary but narrowly achieved two-thirds majority, questions arose about whether the quorum was reached through unfair means, as the representative of Hannover 96 allegedly voted contrary to his club's instructions. Consequently, 1. FC Köln announced a motion to revoke the executive board's mandate for the deal. Watzke noted that "even in consideration of all legal aspects, the executive board has come to the conviction that any further votes would not bring a solution". Daniel Mittler, Managing Director of the citizens' movement Finanzwende, commented: "The DFL's decision is good news for all football fans – and for all those who do not want to subordinate every aspect of daily life to the logic of financial markets. CVC's entry into Bundesliga marketing would have represented a new level of profit orientation in football."