The rumor mill is as soon as once more spinning round Germany’s most profitable soccer membership. After greater than 20 years of partnership with Audi, there’s a extremely speculative rumor that FC Bayern Munich may quickly see a brand new badge on its gamers’ firm vehicles — BMW. However whereas the hypothesis is gaining traction, no official transfer has been made, and any potential change continues to be years away.
Audi’s Longstanding Partnership and Doable Exit
Audi has been a associate of FC Bayern Munich because the 2002/03 season and presently holds an 8.33% stake in FC Bayern München AG. The prevailing sponsorship deal runs till 2029, renewed simply 5 years in the past. Nonetheless, experiences recommend that Audi, owned by Volkswagen Group, would possibly rethink its long-term involvement. One purpose is the monetary pressure of balancing two high-profile sponsorships: its partnership with Bayern and its upcoming entry into System 1 in 2026 — a multi-billion-euro funding that’s set to turn out to be Audi’s most important advertising and marketing platform.
In response to BILD, Volkswagen reportedly finds it laborious to justify financing each initiatives at full scale. With F1 looming massive on the horizon, pulling again from Bayern may unlock assets for Audi’s racing ambitions.
BMW Ready within the Wings
It’s additionally not stunning that BMW might be concerned with stepping in — once more. The Munich-based automaker practically sealed a cope with Bayern again in 2019. Each events had already signed a letter of intent earlier than talks collapsed on account of unknown causes. Regardless of that setback, BMW has since established a foothold with the membership’s basketball division. Since 2023, BMW has been the title sponsor of the Bayern basketball group, with residence video games performed on the newly branded “BMW Park.”
Just some days in the past, we at BMWBLOG explored this ongoing story in better element, together with BMW’s historic and strategic ties to FC Bayern. You’ll be able to learn our full legacy evaluation right here: BMW and FC Bayern: A Legacy within the Making.
Trade insiders consider that BMW’s present basketball partnership may pave the best way for growth into the soccer division. Such a transfer would seemingly require BMW to accumulate Audi’s 8.33% stake in FC Bayern München AG, positioning BMW not simply as a sponsor however as a shareholder. We’ve additionally heard up to now {that a} soccer sponsorship with FC Bayern would contain BMW paying a hefty sum.
The shifting sponsorship panorama comes as each BMW and Audi face tighter financial situations. BMW reported a 26.4% drop in web revenue to €2.2 billion within the first quarter of 2025, with income down practically 8% to €33.8 billion. Audi additionally posted declining earnings, incomes €630 million in Q1, a 14% year-over-year lower. So it stays to be seen whether or not BMW can splurge.
Audi’s long-standing partnership with FC Bayern has at all times been a thorn in BMW’s facet, with its premium rival securing prime visibility in Munich’s yard—however as is commonly the case in enterprise, every little thing has a value, even delight. For now, BMW appears content material having secured partnerships with different soccer giants like AC Milan and Actual Madrid, retaining its world sports activities advertising and marketing technique alive and nicely.
[Source: BILD]
