Energising road cycling

Teaming up to support the expansion of Red Bull’s global sports portfolio.

An iconic brand known for its extensive sponsorship in sports, including Formula 1, football and extreme sports, energy drinks giant Red Bull had, until recently, only dipped its toe in the sport of cycling, supporting individual athletes – never a team. 

But that all changed, when at the start of 2024 Red Bull announced its intention to become the new majority owner and title sponsor of Bora-Hansgrohe, the WorldTour team.

Red Bull, which had worked with Bora-Hansgrohe and its junior development team for several years, was looking to acquire a 51% controlling stake in the two companies that owned and managed the Bora-Hansgrohe team. 

An acquisition of this magnitude required trusted advice from a team of experts with a diverse range of skills and experience - and so Red Bull turned to its long-term advisor, Baker Tilly. 

A long-term partnership

For over a decade, our team of experts in Germany has been providing extensive support to Red Bull - from advising on their investment in the RB Leipzig stadium in 2017, to the joint takeover of one of Europe’s largest beverage bottling and distribution centres in 2022.

In this latest deal, our multijurisdictional team assisted Red Bull’s in-house team with the complex mix of business, taxation and legal aspects of their acquisition. 

Pulling together a team made up of M&A, taxation and sports law experts, we provided Red Bull with a broad perspective, supporting all aspects of the negotiations and preparing all transaction documents. 

It’s this holistic approach that ensures we drive our clients’ long-term successes and help them build a sustainable future.