For those who do not know, Bayern Munich and most other Bundesliga clubs adhere to the 50+1 rule- a requirement for the club to hold at least a 51% (and therefore a majority) stake of its’ own operation. This may limit the investment all 50+1 adhering clubs can receive, but it does not prevent it entirely. There is still 49% of the club to sell, after all. Many clubs have sold off parts of the club and Bayern is no exception, having sold off 8.33% to Adidas, Audi, and Allianz each. This means the Bavarians had sold off 25% of the 30% they can sell without the approval of their members.
Now they have found the right partner to sell the final stake to.
TZMuenchen reports (as captured by @iMiaSanMia) that Bayern have chosen heating company Viessmann:
Bayern have made a groundbreaking decision for the future. The board, led by club president Herbert Hainer, has decided to sell the final 5% of the AG (public limited company) to Viessmann. The purchase price is €250 million. The heating technology company from Allendorf will soon be promoted from a platinum partner to a main partner, putting it in the same tier as main sponsor Telekom and shareholders Adidas, Audi and Allianz.
Currently, Adidas, Audi, and Allianz each hold 8.33% of the club. According to the statutes, FC Bayern can sell the remaining 5% without the approval of the club members, which they’ve now decided to do.
“We have a deal with our members that we won’t sell more than 30%. Theoretically, we could sell 5% without asking the members. For more than that, we would need a two-thirds majority. And we’ll never get that”, said Uli Hoeneß back in November 2025.
The partnership between Bayern and Viessmann has grown gradually: in 2018 the company became an official regional partner in China, in 2021 the partnership was extended to Southeast Asia and Viessmann became an official climate partner in selected European markets. At the start of the 2022/2023 season, this partnership was expanded globally. Since the 2023/2024 season, the company has been a partner of the women’s team. And in February of this year, the international collaboration was extended ahead of schedule until 2029. Max Viessmann (CEO of Viessmann Generations Group) already sits on Bayern’s supervisory board. The purchase of the company’s shares now marks the next step in this long-standing partnership.
As recently as April 2025, Bayern president Herbert Hainer claimed the club was not looking to sell off its shares. But British newspaper Financial Times claimed Bayern nearly sold their minority stake to private equity firm EQT last winter. And now, if the report is to be believed, the Bavarians have finally found their newest partner.
What do you think? Is this a good deal? Should the club have kept the stake? Is Viessmann the right partner? Let us know in the comments below. This news came completely out of left field, eh?
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