The Bundesliga has extended its deal with south-east European broadcaster United Media for the next four years to screen the best of the German football league across nine territories including the Balkans, Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus until the end of the 2028-29 season.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
United Media is an established multi-play operator in the region with 55 broadcast channels over an area stretching from Slovenia in the north and Greece in the south to Bulgaria in the east, with a cumulative audience of 41.5 million.
“Working with long-term partners lays the foundation for delivering a world-class product and, by extending our collaboration with United Media, we have secured high quality coverage in the Balkans, Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus,“ said Peer Naubert, Chief Executive Officer of Bundesliga International.
“Historically, the Bundesliga has had more players from south-east Europe than any of the top five leagues and the region is a hotbed for fans who are passionate about our unique brand of fast-paced attacking football. Working directly with United Media, our focus is to deliver the best of the Bundesliga to those fans – telling the stories that matter to them day-in and day-out,” Naubert added.
Leading names from across the region have made up some of the 457 players from the Balkans and south-east Europe who have played in the Bundesliga.
Croatia and TSG Hoffenheim striker Andrej Kramaric has netted 126 goals in 286 Bundesliga appearances since the 2015-16 season, becoming the club’s record goalscorer in the process. Borussia Dortmund made a strong finish last season to qualify for the Champions League under their head coach and former Croatia international Niko Kovač, while the goals by Bosnia and Herzegovina striker Edin Džeko helped VfL Wolfsburg win the Bundesliga title in 2008-09.
“We are delighted to extend our successful partnership with the Bundesliga and to continue bringing this world-class competition to sports fans across our markets,” said Nemanja Simeunović, Sports Programming Coordinator at United Media.
“The Bundesliga is renowned for its quality, passion, and fast-paced football, and it has a special place in the hearts of our viewers – not only because of its on-field excellence but also because so many talented players from our region have left their mark in Germany,” Simeunović concluded.
