As the German Bundesliga prepares to kick off its season in less than two weeks, its executives are searching for a new media rights deal in the United States.
This season marks the last in which the Bundesliga will operate under its current agreement with ESPN, which is worth approximately $30 million per year. And per Jonathan Tannenwald of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Germany’s top-flight soccer league is actively looking for its next deal.
According to the report, the Bundesliga has begun negotiations with ESPN, CBS Sports, and at least one other potential bidder. The crux of the league’s negotiations will be trying to find the right balance between maximizing revenue and maximizing reach.
“It’s always some kind of a trade-off between revenues and reach,” Robin Austermann, EVP of Bundesliga’s Americas division told the Inquirer. “But definitely looking for the best possible partner who brings us to the next level in terms of overall brand value. We would never say that we are not interested in revenues here — that’s one of the key goals for sure — but also, having this long-term approach in mind is super-important for us, and not just short-term revenues.”
Tannenwald specifically mentions sports streaming service DAZN as another possibility for the league. DAZN already owns German broadcast rights for the Bundesliga, and the streaming service is trying to make in-roads with the American audience. However, Austermann characterizes the possibility as “too early to tell,” with negotiations still in the beginning stages.
European club soccer has become a very competitive market in the United States, though some leagues have found more success than others. The English Premier League inked a deal with NBC in 2022 that pays the league an average of $450 million per year. On the other hand, France’s Ligue 1 was unable to attract an American broadcaster outside of the barely-accessible beIN Sports for its rights. Bundesliga will likely fall somewhere in between.
While the German league will look to re-up a deal in the United States, it will also be seeking other deals in the Americas. Per Tannenwald, all of the league’s American-based broadcast deals expire this year, so Bundesliga will explore broader rights deals as well as country-by-country agreements.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.