Mercedes-Benz makes deal possible
Porsche is said to have a big stake in VfB Stuttgart
06/27/2023, 11:11 am
The car manufacturer Porsche will enter into a partnership with VfB Stuttgart and, according to the wishes of the Bundesliga soccer team, will complete “the Champions League of investors under one roof”. The deal, made possible by another global brand, could be worth up to 100 million euros for the Bundesliga side.
VfB Stuttgart celebrates: “Today is a great day for our VfB,” said President Claus Vogt in a club statement. The reason for the enthusiasm is a large sponsorship and investor deal that the Bundesliga club wants to land: With Porsche, a global brand is to become part of the Swabian partner pool, and the club and car manufacturer have already signed a corresponding policy document. It is “a historic merger that would secure a stable future for VfB Stuttgart in one go,” announced the clammy club, which was only able to save itself from relegation from the third relegation in the last seven years.
Porsche is to take on extensive sponsorship packages. The management and IT consulting company MHP, a Porsche subsidiary, is also to become part of the deal, the total volume of which can reach more than 100 million euros. The corresponding contract is now to be finalized quickly.
To this end, “VfB and Porsche examined a participation by Porsche in VfB Stuttgart 1893 AG”. A corresponding partnership between Baden-Württemberg’s global brand and Baden-Württemberg’s relegation team could “considerably strengthen VfB Stuttgart’s equity and liquidity again.”
“Accommodation by Mercedes-Benz”
Porsche would already be the second major investor from the automotive sector in the Bundesliga soccer club. The Mercedes-Benz Group (formerly Daimler AG) has been on board for six years and holds 11.75 percent of the shares in VfB Stuttgart AG, which was founded in 2017. At that time, Mercedes paid 41.5 million euros for the shares. In similar spheres, Porsche is now said to be involved in the professional football division.
“This alliance is made possible by the generous concessions made by Mercedes-Benz. I would like to thank Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and MHP for the trusting discussions and the great trust in VfB,” said President Vogt. “This is where the Champions League of investors comes together under one roof. The commitment of these global corporations to VfB makes us proud.”
Mercedes will reduce its commitment to sponsoring the club, and the global corporation will vacate its advertising space on the chest and sleeves of the Bundesliga team’s jersey. The naming rights of the previous Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart will also be reassigned – and will initially be taken over by MHP for ten years, as the club announced. It is not known whether the new partners will also take over the free advertising space on the jerseys, for which the club is said to have collected around ten million euros per season. In the unique cooperation, Mercedes-Benz remains the anchor investor, exclusive partner and mobility partner of VfB.
If Porsche were to join VfB Stuttgart, Volkswagen AG would already have a stake in three Bundesliga clubs via brands and subsidiaries: The VW subsidiary Audi holds 8.3 percent of FC Bayern München AG, and the Volkswagen Group itself has been the 100th 100% shareholder of VfL Wolfsburg Fußball GmbH.