DFB Predict Strong Contest for Domestic Rights of German Soccer

June 7, 2011

After domestic rights for the DFB-Pokal which went on the market yesterday, June 6, the German Football Federation (DFB) is confident of a battle between commercial and public-service broadcasters.

The rights are being tendered by the DFB for the four seasons from the 2012-13 campaign through to 2015-16 and signals the first time they are being sold separately from the DFB’s other rights, after the rights for national team matches for the next cycle were sold to ARD and ZDF last month.

According to TV Sports Markets, the Federation expects to close deals for the cup rights by September, and DFB general secretary Wolfgang Niersbach told local media: “I expect an exciting competition between public and private television channels.”

Public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF, and Germany’s biggest commercial broadcasters, RTL and Sat.1, are all expected to bid. News agency DPA reports that the competition generated over US$88m for the Federation last season from television and sponsorship rights.

Public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF have the rights for eight live matches per season in the current cycle through to the end of the 2012-13 campaign. Pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland has the rights for all 63 matches in the competition, including those aired by ARD and ZDF.