The German Football League (DFL) will open up a new sponsorship opportunity to Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga clubs from the 2017-18 season after electing to end its central marketing approach for branding on the shirt sleeves of players.
The DFL took the decision at a general assembly meeting in Frankfurt, with the rights currently held through to the end of the 2016-17 season by logistics service provider Hermes.
Clubs from the top two divisions of German football will now be granted the opportunity to market shirt sleeve branding rights from the 2017-18 campaign on an individual basis.
Hermes became an official premium partner of the Bundesliga in January 2013 after agreeing a four-and-a-half-year deal with the DFL. Under terms of the agreement, the Hermes logo appears on the left sleeve of all players in the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga during all DFL league matches.
The DFL said it will liaise with Hermes over the coming months with regards to how the partnership can be continued on a different level.