The Bundesliga have received a massive boost by agreeing a deal with 21st Century FOX whereby the German top flight league and DFL-Supercup will be shown on US television and Internet from the 2015-16 season and ending after the 2019-20 season.
GolTV currently has the rights to the Bundesliga through until the end of the 2014-15 season. However, many TV providers no longer carry the network on its sports packages, so the league isn’t as accessible as it ought to be.
21st Century FOX will presumably broadcast the Bundesliga on FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2Go, while some games may be shown on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2.
“Both on and off the pitch, the Bundesliga has grown to become one of the preeminent soccer leagues in the world,” added James Murdoch, deputy chief operating officer of 21st Century Fox. “We look forward to partnering with the DFL over the next five years to leverage our unrivaled global portfolio of sports channels to bolster the Bundesliga brand in every corner of the globe.”
The deal between the Bundesliga and FOX includes 306 league matches a season, as well as the DFL-Supercup and the Bundesliga relegation playoffs.
The new agreements will also see 21st Century Fox benefit from Sky Deutschland’s status as an Official Partner and domestic broadcaster of the Bundesliga in Germany. Sky Deutschland’s production resources will guarantee fans the full breadth and depth of Bundesliga coverage and editorial expertise, presented in a style suited to each region’s local preferences.
The announcement is excellent news for soccer fans in the United States. The Bundesliga is a very competitive and entertaining league to watch, and finally it’s going to be available to a larger audience who can enjoy what the league has to offer.
In the past, Fox Soccer Channel had the US media rights to the Bundesliga, where the 24/7 soccer network used to broadcast matches on Saturday mornings. In the United States, the Bundesliga rose to fame through the Soccer Made In Germany program that was televised on PBS, featuring classic commentaries by Toby Charles.
