DFL Sports Enterprises has allocated the international audiovisual media rights for Germany’s domestic football league Bundesliga for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons in 18 countries in Europe and beyond.
The new tender opened in September 2014 has contributed to DFL Sports Enterprises more than doubling its international revenues compared with the current rights period, according to the rights sales subsidiary of Germany’s national football association Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL), adding that increases were particularly high in Spain, Turkey and Greece.
In Spain, DFL will continue its collaboration with pay-TV market leader Canal+. In Turkey, sports broadcaster Eurosport secured the Bundesliga rights. The subsidiary of Discovery Communications already screens the Bundesliga in Scandinavia and Central Europe. The rights in Greece were also directly acquired by a broadcaster – which DFL did not name.
The rights in Russia, the Ukraine and 10 further CIS countries like Azerbaijan, Belarus and Kazakhstan were allocated to sports rights agency The Sportsman Media Group which plans to make the Bundesliga available in these countries both through classic TV broadcasters and on digital streaming platforms.
In Malta, DFL’s current partner Melita keeps the rights, just like current rights holder Cytavision in Cyprus.
“The new European sales will contribute to our international revenues more than doubling in the upcoming rights period, increasing our revenues in 2015/16 to more than €150 million per season,” Jörg Daubitzer, managing director of DFL Sports Enterprises, said in Frankfurt. According to the company, it will thereby exceed its own plans which expected a rise by €70 million to €140 million per season.
The individual financial details of the country-specific sales were not disclosed.
