International pay-TV sports giant, BeIN, has recently announced a new rights agreement in France for the coverage of German soccer's top men's knockout competition, the DFB-Pokal. This multi-season rights agreement is set to enhance BeIN’s existing German soccer coverage in France.
The new deal will allow BeIN to provide comprehensive coverage of the DFB-Pokal competition from the 2025-26 campaign’s Round of 16 onwards, starting on December 2 and 3. For this season’s Round of 16, every match will be aired by BeIN with at least two matches featuring commentary. These include high-profile clashes such as Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen and Union Berlin against Bayern Munich.
From the subsequent season (2026-27), BeIN plans to broadcast highlights from the competition starting from an earlier stage - the Round of 64 onwards.
Return to French broadcasting
This recent development marks a return for BeIN as it previously held French rights to DFB-Pokal until 2018. After a two-year blackout period, L’Equipe free-to-air digital channel took over these rights in 2020. Now that they have been regained by BeIn, Florent Houzot, programs & on-air director for BeIN Sports France expressed his excitement about this addition to their extensive portfolio.
This acquisition further strengthens beIn's hold on German football broadcasting in France as it already holds rights for top-tier Bundesliga matches for four more years. Renewed last June, this deal covers all Bundesliga games along with season-opening Super Cup competitions and season-ending promotion and relegation playoffs running through till the end of the 2028-29 season.
BeIn is one of France's most prominent sports broadcasters, boasting a wide array of elite soccer rights. These include France’s Ligue 1 and second-tier Ligue 2 domestic soccer championships, Spain’s top-flight LaLiga, England’s FA Cup knockout competition and EFL lower tiers. Recently, the broadcaster also secured the rights to European rugby union’s Champions Cup and Challenge Cup tournaments.
DFB-Pokal domestic rights package
This latest deal follows closely on the heels of German club soccer's DFB governing body securing the remaining domestic rights package for DFB-Pokal through till the 2029-30 season. Public broadcaster ZDF and commercial network RTL are set to share this free-to-air (FTA) rights package from the 2026-27 campaign onwards.
Florent Houzot, programs & on-air director for BeIN Sports France, said:
“As a Bundesliga broadcaster since 2012, we are delighted to acquire the multi-season rights to the German Cup, complementing our German football offering and expanding our European football catalog. This season, our subscribers will be able to watch all the Round of 16 games, and starting next season, we will broadcast all the top matches from the Round of 64 onwards.”
The new agreement builds on ZDF's current broadcasting rights for this competition which it has been sharing with ARD since 2022-23. This deal is due to expire at the end of the ongoing 2025-26 campaign.
With pay-TV heavyweight Sky already awarded with main package of rights (63 matches) after an initial tender in May, this completes next four-year domestic cycle for DFB-Pokal competition. BeIN's acquisition of multi-season broadcasting rights for Germany's top men's knockout football competition is a significant addition to its extensive portfolio. It not only enhances its German football coverage but also reaffirms its position as one of France's leading sports broadcasters.
