Development of the market and competitive environment
Sponsorships
Borussia Dortmund again had two kit sponsors for the 2024/2025 season. 1&1 Telecommunication SE was the kit sponsor for Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga appearances. Evonik Industries AG was generally the kit sponsor for all international club competitions, friendlies staged abroad and DFB Cup matches. At the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the kits were sponsored first by Evonik Industries AG and then by Vodafone Group, the new kit sponsor for the 2025/2026 season (see below for details).
The beginning of the 2024/2025 season saw Borussia Dortmund sign three new Champion Partners: Rheinmetall AG (until 30 June 2027), Sparda-Bank West (until 30 June 2029) and Pluto TV Europe GmbH (until 30 June 2025). Pluto TV is also sleeve sponsor in all cup competitions in the 2024/2025 season (UEFA Champions League, DFB Cup and FIFA Club World Cup 2025). ATLAS Schuhfabrik GmbH & Co. KG has also been a Borussia Dortmund Champion Partner since 1 January 2025 (until 30 June 2030), having previously been a Premium Partner.
In financial year 2024/2025, Borussia Dortmund also extended the contracts with its Champion Partners General Logistics Systems Germany GmbH & Co. OHG (GLS; until 30 June 2025), bwin (until 30 June 2028) and ESET (until 30 June 2027).
In the 2024/2025 season, Borussia Dortmund added RWE AG as a new Premium Partner (until 30 June 2030).
During the 2024/2025 financial year, contracts were also extended with the Premium Partners Coinbase Germany GmbH (until 30 June 2027), Coca-Cola (until 30 June 2028) and APOTAL Bad Apotheke/DocMorris N.V. (change of name) (until 30 June 2025).
Starting in the 2025/2026 season, Borussia Dortmund’s new and exclusive primary kit sponsor for all national and international competitions will be the Vodafone Group, which includes Vodafone Deutschland GmbH. The partnership encompasses much more than just kit sponsorship. One of the goals Borussia Dortmund and Vodafone have set for themselves is to launch an innovation and technology offensive to create new digital experiences for BVB fans and Vodafone customers alike. The contract has a minimum term until 30 June 2030. Borussia Dortmund is grateful for the successful partnership with its previous primary kit sponsors Evonik Industries AG and 1&1 Telecommunication SE, whose contracts expired as scheduled at the end of the 2024/2025 season. Evonik Industries AG will remain a sponsor of Borussia Dortmund, as a Champion Partner until 30 June 2030. After more than 20 years of collaboration, the partnership will shift its focus onto sustainability and health-related matters and on expanding the partners’ international presence.
In addition, Borussia Dortmund has taken the early option to renew the contract with its equipment supplier PUMA (PUMA International Sports Marketing B.V.) for an extended term ending 30 June 2034. The original agreement has been in place since the 2012/2013 season.
Transfers and player loans
The following players left Borussia Dortmund permanently during the 2024 summer transfer window: Niclas Füllkrug (transfer to West Ham United), Ole Pohlmann (to Rio Ave FC), Tom Rothe (to 1. FC Union Berlin) and Paris Brunner (to AS Monaco). In addition, the following players left on temporary transfers for the 2024/2025 season: Youssoufa Moukoko (on loan to OGC Nice), Sébastien Haller (loan to CD Leganés) and Soumaïla Coulibaly (loan to Stade Brestois).
Salih Özcan (on loan to VfL Wolfsburg) was originally also loaned out for the 2024/2025 season, but was recalled from VfL Wolfsburg ahead of schedule in the 2024/2025 winter transfer period. Also during the 2024/2025 winter transfer window, Borussia Dortmund and Spanish La Liga club CD Leganés mutually agreed an early end to the loan of striker Sébastien Haller, who was on loan to top tier Dutch club FC Utrecht for the second half of the 2024/2025 season. Furthermore, forward Donyell Malen left Borussia Dortmund for English Premier League club Aston Villa during the 2024/2025 winter transfer window. In addition, striker Youssoufa Moukoko joined Danish champions FC Copenhagen with effect from 1 July 2025.
Players on loan
In early February 2025, Sweden international Daniel Svensson joined Borussia Dortmund on loan from Danish Superliga club FC Nordsjælland until the end of the 2024/2025 season. Borussia Dortmund also had an option to sign him beyond the summer of 2025. Midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka has also made the move to Borussia Dortmund on loan from Chelsea FC for the second half of the 2024/2025 season. The contract also granted Borussia Dortmund the option to sign him permanently once the loan comes to an end.
Capital expenditure
Borussia Dortmund signed three Germany internationals – Maximilian Beier, Waldemar Anton and Pascal Groß – as well as Guinea international Serhou Guirassy in the summer of 2024. Yan Couto had previously been on temporary loan from Manchester City until 30 June 2025. The pre-defined sporting criteria for a permanent transfer were met in October 2024, and the Brazilian full-back then signed for Borussia Dortmund on a long-term basis.
During the 2024/2025 winter transfer window, Borussia Dortmund signed goalkeeper Diant Ramaj from Ajax Amsterdam (until 30 June 2029). He was immediately loaned to Danish Superliga club FC Copenhagen until the end of the season to gain match experience. In mid-May 2025, Borussia Dortmund signed left-back and Sweden international Daniel Svensson, who had already been on loan at Borussia Dortmund since early February 2025, to a long-term contract until 30 June 2029. In June 2025, Borussia Dortmund took advantage of the special transfer window (1 June to 10 June 2025) granted ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup to sign the U21 England international Job Bellingham (until 30 June 2030) from newly-promoted Premier League side Sunderland AFC.
Contract extensions for the professional squad
Norway international Julian Ryerson extended his contract early until 30 June 2028. Borussia Dortmund also signed professional contracts with the two young players Filippo Mané and Almugera Kabar (each until 30 June 2028).
TV Marketing
DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH once again surpassed the billion-euro mark in awarding the German-language media rights for the 2025/2026 to 2028/2029 seasons, marking a continuation of the high revenue level seen in recent years. The 36 clubs of both Bundesliga divisions can expect to split an average of EUR 1.12 billion among themselves each season between 2025/2026 and 2028/2029. This corresponds to total revenue of EUR 4.48 billion and an increase of around 2% on the previous cycle.
DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH has informed the clubs of the first and second Bundesliga divisions about the expected total distribution volume (approximately EUR 1.35 billion; 2024/2025: EUR 1.40 billion) and the corresponding payout dates for the 2025/2026 season. The announced disbursements of the TV funds will allow for a good degree of planning for the coming season. The approximately 3.8% decrease in the projected total distribution amount is due primarily to the fact that the 2024/2025 season was the final season covered by the media rights allocated by the German Football League (DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH) for seasons from 2021/2022 to 2024/2025, under which income averaging EUR 1.1 billion (total of EUR 4.4 billion) was generated for the clubs, with the distributions increasing with each passing season.
UEFA also informed the clubs participating in the UEFA Champions League about the expected income distribution from the competition, which will total approximately EUR 2.47 billion in the 2025/2026 season (2024/2025: EUR 2.47 billion). Having qualified for the UEFA Champions League, Borussia Dortmund will receive a portion of the lucrative disbursements. A new format has been in place for the UEFA Champions League since the 2024/2025 season: A total of 36 teams play eight matches in a single league phase and are ranked on basis of their results from all matches in an overall league table. The top eight finishers will advance to the round of 16, while the teams finishing in 9th to 24th place will compete in a knockout phase play-off to determine who will be the other eight sides in the round of 16. From the 2024/2025 season onwards, UEFA will divide the aforementioned total distribution amount into three pillars: starting fee; performance-related fixed amounts; and value pillar.
FIFA announced that the FIFA Club World Cup will include prize money totalling USD 1 billion for the 32 participating clubs as well as a global solidarity model. The prize money comprises a sporting performance pillar totalling USD 475 million and a participation pillar of USD 525 million. The winner of the competition could potentially earn up to USD 125 million.
Match operations
In financial year 2024/2025, Borussia Dortmund played all of its 24 Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League and DFB Cup home matches to nearly sell-out crowds. Borussia Dortmund also expects no restrictions on its ability to generate income from match operations and catering during the upcoming financial year.
Season tickets for the following 2025/2026 season went on sale as usual at the end of the financial year and were once again capped at the customary limit of 55,000.
Other
Sports
Borussia Dortmund’s SIGNAL IDUNA PARK was one of the ten venues for the UEFA EURO 24. Since the tournament was held in June and July 2024, the income from those matches was generated in financial years 2023/2024 and 2024/2025.
Between 19 and 25 July 2024, Borussia Dortmund spent a part of its pre-season in Asia, playing friendlies against BG Pathum United (0–4 in Pathum, Thailand) and Cerezo Osaka (3–2 in Osaka, Japan).
At the beginning of January 2025, Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl and Borussia Dortmund extended their partnership ahead of schedule until 30 June 2027.
On 22 January 2025, the club dismissed former head coach Nuri Sahin. U19 coach Mike Tullberg took over as caretaker for the senior team’s three intervening matches before Borussia Dortmund signed Niko Kovač as coach on a contract that runs until 30 June 2026.
On 6 February 2025, Borussia Dortmund dismissed its Technical Director Sven Mislintat with immediate effect.
On 1 July 2025, Borussia Dortmund promoted the Youth Academy’s Head of Strategy and Development, Paul Schaffran, to Director of the Youth Academy.
On 22 April 2025, Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH (DFL) granted Borussia Dortmund the licence to play in the first Bundesliga division for the 2025/2026 season. As in previous years, the license was granted without any requirements and/or conditions.
The Executive Committee of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga e.V. resolved to introduce a further transfer period in the summer of 2025. Due to the extraordinary registration phase in connection with the FIFA Club World Cup, clubs in the first and second Bundesliga divisions were also able to make transfers from 1 June to 10 June 2025 for the first time.
Other
At the 2024 Annual General Meeting, Christian Schmid and Michael Zorc were newly elected to the Supervisory Board, while Christian Kullmann (member of the Supervisory Board from 23 May 2007 and Chairperson of the Supervisory Board from 25 September 2021) and Bodo Löttgen (member of the Supervisory Board from 25 November 2019) stepped down from the Supervisory Board. All other members of the Supervisory Board were re-elected and thus confirmed in office. At its constituting meeting following the Annual General Meeting, the Supervisory Board elected Silke Seidel as Chairperson and re-elected Ulrich Leitermann as Deputy Chairperson. In addition, Silke Seidel, Ulrich Leitermann and Prof. Bernhard Pellens were re-elected to the Audit Committee, Prof. Bernhard Pellens was re-elected as Chairperson of the Audit Committee and Ulrich Leitermann was re-elected as Deputy Chairperson of the Audit Committee.
On 3 April 2025, Hans-Joachim Watzke, Managing Director (Chairman), was re-elected to the Executive Committee of the European football governing body at the UEFA Congress in Belgrade. In addition, at the meeting of the Executive Committee that followed, Hans-Joachim Watzke was unanimously elected as one of the UEFA Vice Presidents.
Borussia Dortmund founded BVB Gesundheitswelt GmbH in cooperation with Essen University Hospital on 28 April 2025. The purpose of the company is to provide medical services. Borussia Dortmund holds a 49% interest in the company.
Borussia Dortmund published its eighth sustainability report at the end of September 2024. This is entitled “United by Borussia! Borussia leads the way!” and can be found at www.bvb.de/verantwortung. Borussia Dortmund will publish the ninth Sustainability Report* at the same time as this Annual Report at the end of September 2025.
* In accordance with the statutory requirements, the Sustainability Report does not fall under the scope of Deloitte GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft’s audit of the consolidated and annual financial statements.