German national football association DFL has to re-auction the largest TV rights package in the tender of the domestic Bundesliga rights for the 2025/26 to 2028/29 seasons.
An arbitration tribunal has partially upheld the complaint filed by DAZN in April 2024 against the allocation of rights package B to a competitor, thought to be Sky Deutschland. DFL subsequently suspended the TV rights auction until further notice.
The parties will be informed of the reasons for the decision in November 2024. In light of this, DFL is currently refraining from commenting further on the matter.
Rights package B includes the right to broadcast all Bundesliga matches on Friday evening (20:30 CET) and Saturday afternoon (15:30 CET) as well as the end of season playoffs.
DFL will announce details on the re-auction process after further consultation with the DFL Executive Committee.
“DAZN is delighted that the court has ruled in our favour,” said a DAZN spokesperson. “We remain convinced that DAZN is the best partner for DFL, for the clubs and for German football fans.”
“We take note of the arbitration tribunal’s decision,” Sky Deutschland said in a statement. “We are very well positioned for the allocation of the media rights and are confident that we can continue to offer our viewers the best Bundesliga experience and remain the leading sports provider.”
DFL had put the auction for the domestic Bundesliga broadcast rights on hold in April 2024 after DAZN complained of unfair treatment, claiming its offer was rejected despite having made “the most financially attractive and most convincing offer for rights package B.”
According to DAZN, it lost out because it didn’t provide a bank guarantee in time, arguing that in previous auctions a letter of responsibility has been acceptable. The streaming service subsequently threatened to take legal action.
Under the current contract, Sky Deutschland has the rights to the Bundesliga matches on Saturday, while DAZN screens the Friday and Sunday fixtures.
