New “Ratecard” optimizes support for international activities of Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2

26.06.2018 – The DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga has optimized the support of the clubs from Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 in their international activities abroad. With this next step, the best possible foundation has been laid for all Bundesliga clubs to establish themselves with high-quality projects in the Bundesliga’s global key markets. In addition, transparent criteria for the development of international projects – beyond trips by the professional teams – have been drawn up and will further contribute strongly to the internationalization of the Bundesliga. The DFL executive committee approved a corresponding submission by the DFL Internationalization Committee, which has been in existence in an advisory role since the summer of 2017.

The support is based on the so-called ratecard – a rating system for financial support of clubs in their foreign endeavors. Per the updated ratecard system, trips by the professional teams will be valued according to a target market-specific rating factor. Instead of the UEFA five-year rating based valuation in the previous ratecard, quality factors are now considerable part of the new system. The new rating which does not depend on a club’s performance in European club competitions will therefore create equal incentives for all Bundesliga clubs. At the same time, the consideration of quality factors takes account of the growing professionalism being exhibited by clubs in terms of their internationalization.
A quality checklist controls the standards of prospective club projects in international markets. The quality factors include, among others, audio-visual rights of use and exploitation, production standards, sponsoring, marketing and communication measures, as well as guidelines in the area of sports.

The revised ratecard ensures standardized, fair and transparent parameters. It allows the clubs to plan long-term activities on the Bundesliga’s international target markets.
The over-arching goal of the support for international activities, which was launched in 2013, is to achieve significant public awareness on the Bundesliga’s target markets through club presences and to support them in their international activities.