Despite challenging external conditions, the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga has again exceeded the one billion euro threshold in the tender of its German-language media rights. The clubs can expect an average income of €1.1 billion for the 2021-22 to 2024-25 seasons. This corresponds to a total revenue generation of €4.4 billion.

In the area of pay TV, there will still be two media partners. Live coverage of the Bundesliga on Saturdays (all individual afternoon matches, simultaneous conference coverage and the top match) will remain on Sky, as will live coverage of every Bundesliga 2 fixture. DAZN will have live coverage of every Bundesliga match that takes place on Fridays and Sundays. The Saturday evening Bundesliga 2 match will also be broadcast free-to-air on Sport1.

In addition, ProSiebenSat.1 has secured an extensive package of live rights for free TV. This includes the season-opening matches of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, as well as the relegation (play-offs) and the Supercup.

ARD has again secured the rights to broadcast Bundesliga highlights on early Saturday evening and Sunday evening (the first showing of highlights on free-to-air TV). ZDF retains the rights to the second airing of Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 highlights on free-to-air TV on Saturday evening, as well as the first showing of highlights of the Bundesliga’s top match on free-to-air TV. In addition, Sport1 has again been awarded the rights to broadcast highlights of the Friday and Saturday matches in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 from Sunday morning onwards. One new development is that ARD has secured the rights to broadcast Bundesliga 2 highlights on Fridays and Sundays, in addition to early Saturday evening. Some of these highlights are currently planned to be broadcast on the One channel.

“The outcome of the tender offers the greatest possible stability in uncertain times for the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs as well as for the fans by broadly preserving the revenue situation and regarding the viewing habits. We would like to express our considerable gratitude to the media partners for the coming rights period, whose investments serve as an expression of their confidence in the continued positive development of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2,” said Christian Seifert, Speaker of the Executive Committee of the DFL and DFL CEO.

The pay rights for on-demand highlights of Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 fixtures immediately after the matches were acquired by Axel Springer, as was the “Digital out of Home” package for the use of match video in outdoor advertising, which was awarded for the first time. The rights package for freely accessible on-demand highlights of the fixtures in both divisions, to be shown from the Monday after each Matchday, was secured by ARD, ZDF and Sport1. Audio rights were awarded to ARD in both areas (broadcast and netcast).

As in previous tenders, all of the rights were awarded in an open, transparent and non-discriminatory tender that was given the green light by the German Federal Cartel Office. The Executive Committee of the DFL will decide on the distribution of the revenue in due course.

Please click here for a presentation containing an overview of the rights packages awarded.