Bundesliga domestic broadcast rights can be sold to single buyer – SportsPro – SportsPro Media
The German Federal Cartel Office has ditched a ban that prevented a single broadcaster from acquiring the domestic broadcast rights to the Bundesliga on an exclusive basis.
Confirmed:
- Invitation to tender (ITT) for rights between the 2025/26 and 2028/29 seasons states one broadcaster can now acquire all four Bundesliga live pay-TV packages
- ITT will offer seven live and eight TV highlights packages covering the Bundesliga, the second-tier Bundesliga 2 division, and the German Supercup
- Rights to be awarded for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, East Belgium and South Tyrol
- The successful bidders of the pay-TV packages can show a certain number of games free-to-air (FTA), either on their own platforms or through sub-licensing deals
Context:
The rule preventing a single buyer has been in effect since the 2016 Bundesliga domestic tender was issued, with the goal of diversifying the range of broadcasters interested in acquiring the German top-flight’s rights. Subsequent agreements have seen the rights split among numerous media partners, but this will no longer be required by law.
The packages on offer cover a total of 617 games each season. As well as the four live rights packets for pay-TV, there are two technology-neutral packages covering the Bundesliga 2 and a FTA offering that contains at least nine live games, including the Supercup.
The DFL has made some other changes to its packages, with one pay-TV offering now bundling individual Friday games on Fridays and Saturday afternoons. New highlights rights packages have also been created, including one focused on digital platforms.
It has also committed to producing live productions in 9:16 format for smartphone users, as well as ‘special productions’, including broadcasts targeting young people and children.
Comment:
“In recent years the market for live coverage of football matches has become much more dynamic due to the activities of companies such as DAZN, RTL and also Amazon,” said Andreas Mundt, president of the German Federal Cartel Office. “Most importantly, all providers now offer attractive internet-based broadcasting services as well.
“Encouraging competition for innovation in broadcasting the content was a particularly important goal of the no-single-buyer rule. This means that we can now accept DFL’s suggestion to waive the general rule that no single company may acquire the exclusive live broadcasting rights to Bundesliga matches in the upcoming auction.”
Coming next:
The tender documents will be sent out to broadcasters next month, with the auction slated to begin in mid-April.
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