Bundesliga plans its own TV platform: the big race for the right!

Bundesliga plans its own TV platform: the big race for the right!

The Bundesliga faces a serious turn in the area of TV rights. Christian Ebenbauer, board member of the Bundesliga, recently critically pointed out the results of the highest division that did not meet expectations. In a club conference, it was decided to develop a separate TV platform in order to withstand the pressure and to open up new sources of income. According to Ebenbauer, it is a "necessity" to develop this platform, especially in view of the current economic Situation and the growing competitive pressure by the media partner Canal+.

In autumn, an economic analysis has already been carried out, followed by the creation of a business plan at the beginning of the year. The first phase of the new platform is to be expected with 60,000 to 100,000 subscribers. With a subscription price of 15 euros, this could lead to monthly sales between 900,000 and 1,500,000 euros, which means between 10.8 and 18 million euros annually. These income is of crucial importance for many clubs, since TV money can make up to 30 % of their budget.

challenges of TV rights

The current situation in the allocation of TV rights is characterized by uncertainties. The league has received promising offers for the 2nd league, but the first suggestions for the most important package, which includes 195 live games on PAY TV, are disappointing. Smaller clubs expect a minus that corresponds to the amount of a main sponsor contract. An expert says that it is unrealistic to achieve the previous income of 42 million euros per year from Sky through self -marketing. According to the assessment, Sky could offer a maximum of 30 million euros, while Canal+ did not come up with better offers.

Die DFL (German Football League) also awarded the German -language media rights from 2025/26 to 2028/29. Overall income of EUR 1.121 billion per season was obtained, which represents an increase of around two percent compared to the previous cycle and the Bundesliga makes one of the strongest leagues in the world. Sky and DAZN remain the main media partners on the Pay TV, while the ARD and ZDF show the highlights of the games.

Future vision of the Bundesliga

The Bundesliga plans to implement its own "Direct-to-Consumer platform" by July 2026. The clubs were already presented to the clubs in spring, and now the most important question remains the impetus financing: this must be secured either by an investor or by a loan. The time frame of 14 months to the planned implementation presents the clubs with an additional challenge, since they are responsible for their marketing success.

The project to go to the area of self -exploitation is inspired by positive examples from the Netherlands. The idea of a combination subscription, which combines stadium and TV subscriptions, is also discussed. With the decision about the TV rights that must be made soon, the Bundesliga increases the use in this poker game for the future of its financial basis.