Dortmund and Puma Announce New Long-Term Deal - More than 3x Current Value

Nov 21, 2019

by Pat

Bundesliga giants Dortmund and long-term kit supplier Puma this morning confirmed a long-term extension of their partnership until the end of the 2027-28 season.

Puma and Dortmund joined up in 2012, when the German company replaced Kappa. During this time, Dortmund reached the Champions League final in 2013 and won the German Cup in 2017.

While both parties did not announce any financial details, BILD and Kicker report today that the new deal, which will run for eight years from 1 July 2020, will be worth a total of €250 million, i.e. more than €30 million a season. The current deal was worth just €10 million per year.

“For many years PUMA has been more than a supplier and a sponsor for BVB; it has been a heavyweight in the shareholder structure of our club too. This shows the enormous identification of PUMA and its staff across the world. Our partnership has grown and extends far beyond the boundaries of a normal business relationship. We would like to add another chapter to our joint success story in the coming years,” said the BVB chief executive officer Hans-Joachim Watzke.

Under the leadership of the former professional footballer Bjørn Gulden, PUMA has demonstrated a remarkable intuition for trends, continues to grow at a fast pace and is regarded as one of the most popular employers in Germany. “BVB,” says PUMA CEO Gulden, “is one of our most important partners. We love the fans of this club and the atmosphere they create at Signal Iduna Park on a regular basis. It is quite possibly the best stadium atmosphere in the whole world.”

Borussia Dortmund’s managing director Carsten Cramer, who conducted the contract negotiations with PUMA on behalf of BVB, praised “the confidential and friendly nature of the talks between the parties”, adding that “it was almost a logical choice that we’d continue working together in the future”. Cramer continued: “Borussia Dortmund and PUMA share the same philosophy of intensive football and an emotional fan experience. PUMA is one of the most creative and dynamic sporting goods brands on the planet and yet it has retained a family feel. We’re proud that two companies with such a positive energy will continue to bounce off each other going forward.”