Regionalliga Südwest

What Regionalliga Südwest does

RLSW Regionalliga Südwest GmbH is the operating entity of the Regionalliga Südwest, the 4th tier of German professional football, established as a league in 2012/2013 and corporately restructured from a GbR to a GmbH on December 22, 2022 (operational since July 1, 2023). The league serves 18 clubs across four German federal states (Baden-Württemberg, Saarland, Rheinland-Pfalz, and Hessen), covering seven state and two regional football associations. The champion earns direct promotion to 3. Liga, and the organization is owned by the nine constituent regional football associations rather than by external investors. Its headquarter functions operate from Karlsruhe (Sepp-Herberger-Weg 2) with the company registered at Amtsgericht Mannheim (HRB 746869).

The league's core product is the football competition itself, complemented by administrative services including match scheduling (using DFL-developed integer linear optimization software), refereeing, sports jurisdiction, club licensing (Zulassungsverfahren), and statutory governance. Distribution channels include a YouTube highlights channel, Onefootball content syndication, Spotify podcast, and a pay-per-view live streaming partnership with LEAGUES, where revenue predominantly flows to participating clubs. Sponsorship and partnership packages — including sleeve branding, on-site presence, and digital visibility — are sold directly through the in-house marketing function with multi-year contracts. Recent digital partnerships with SponsoRights GmbH (sponsorship management platform, July 2026) and nono Software GmbH (ticketing, payments, POS, fan communication, June 2026) extend the league's ecosystem into broader club management tooling.

The business model is a hybrid of B2B sponsorship sales and B2C media distribution, with a lean operating team of approximately six staff (Managing Director, Head of Operations, Marketing Manager, Social Media, Content Creator, Intern). Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The organization is governed by a five-member supervisory board chaired by Matthias Schöck (President of Württembergischer Fußballverband), with statutory amendments cyclically enacted to professionalize operations, including new media guidelines (effective 2026-01-01) and sustainability guidelines.

Name

Regionalliga Südwest

Legal name

RLSW Regionalliga Südwest GmbH

Website

https://regionalliga-suedwest.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RLSW Regionalliga Südwest GmbH operates the 4th-tier German professional football league for 18 clubs across four federal states, providing league operations, match scheduling, licensing, media distribution, and sponsorship sales under a multi-stakeholder association-owned GmbH structure established in 2023.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Football League Operations

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

National & Regional Sports TV Networks (Linear) (MPABAJAA)

Keywords

• Professional football league
• Fourth tier football
• Sports sponsorship packages
• Live match streaming
• Football media rights

Headquarters

HQ city

Karlsruhe

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship & Partnership Revenue: The league generates revenue through sponsorship packages that include sleeve branding, on-site presence, and digital visibility. Partners receive maximum visibility at matches, on social media channels and at events.
2. Media Rights & Live Streaming: Revenue from pay-per-view live streaming via LEAGUES partnership. Income generated from live stream tickets goes largely to the participating clubs.
3. Partnership Packages: Flexible sponsorship packages including sleeve branding, on-site presence, and digital visibility. Partnerships are based on principles of sustainability, transparency and mutual growth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RLSW Regionalliga Südwest GmbH organizes, markets, and commercially operates the Regionalliga Südwest, the fourth-tier professional football league in Germany covering Baden-Württemberg, Saarland, Rheinland-Pfalz, and Hessen with 18 member clubs. The company sells sponsorship and partnership packages, centrally commercializes media rights, and distributes live match coverage via the LEAGUES pay-per-view streaming platform alongside free highlights on YouTube and Onefootball.

Product overview

Regionalliga Südwest operates as a unified league product with multiple interconnected service modules. The core offering is the football competition itself, supported by digital distribution channels (LEAGUES streaming, YouTube highlights, OneFootball content), sponsorship packages, administrative services (licensing procedure, match scheduling), and digital platform partnerships (nono for club management). The league is managed by RLSW Regionalliga Südwest GmbH, operational since July 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regionalliga Südwest League Competition Annual competitive football league and match-day competition for 18 professional and semi-professional clubs across Baden-Württemberg, Saarland, Rheinland-Pfalz, and Hessen, with promotion pathway to 3. Liga.
• Sponsorship & Partnership Packages Centralized commercial sponsorship, advertising, and partnership packages sold to corporate brands seeking regional visibility across the Regionalliga Südwest clubs, matches, and digital channels.
• LEAGUES Live Streaming (Pay-per-View) Centralized live pay-per-view streaming of all Regionalliga Südwest matches via the LEAGUES platform, enabling fans across Germany to watch every fixture on demand or live.

Quantifiable outcome

• Direct promotion pathway: Champion of Regionalliga Südwest advances directly to 3. Liga

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SponsoRights GmbHcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 July 2026Tech startup founded in 2022 supporting the further development of the league's marketing structures. Provides expertise in digital sponsorship management. Develops a digital sponsorship management system for professional sports, bundling all sponsorship processes including rights inventory management, lead and offer management, contract management, and partner activation on a central platform.
• nono Software GmbHcoreTechnology or Integration · 12 June 2026Software company developing digital solutions for sports clubs and event organizers. Unites ticketing, card payment, access management, point-of-sale systems, and fan communication in one platform. Will serve as Presenting Partner of 'Treffer des Monats' (Goal of the Month) for 2026/2027 season and bring digital expertise in club and event management to the league.
• ErimaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial equipment supplier of the Regionalliga Südwest.
• RefProminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial referee sleeve partner of the Regionalliga Südwest.
• LEAGUEScoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLive streaming partner broadcasting all matches of the Regionalliga Südwest. Pay-per-view model where revenue generated goes largely to participating clubs, enabling fans to directly support their clubs.
• OnefootballminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital platform for match coverage of Regionalliga Südwest games.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RL_Suedwest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/RegionalligaS%C3%BCdwestyt
• Facebookfacebook.com/rl.suedwest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/regionalliga-s%C3%BCdwest
• Instagraminstagram.com/rl_suedwest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Regionalliga Südwest