The Bundesliga International subsidiary of German soccer's top tier has entered into a four-year media rights partnership with sports and entertainment agency, Infront. This deal follows on from a significant multi-year agreement between Infront and the LFP, the French league’s organizing body.
The new partnership will see Infront managing the media rights portfolio for both top-tier Bundesliga and second-tier 2.Bundesliga matches across ten European territories from 2025-26 through to 2028-29. These markets include Albania, Czech Republic, Estonia, Kosovo, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia. Russia is also included in this list despite ongoing geopolitical tensions.
In addition to regular season matches from both leagues (a total of 617 games), the package includes annual German Supercup matches as well as relegation playoff games between top-tier and second-tier teams.
Current broadcasters deal under the clouds
Current broadcasters of Bundesliga matches in these markets include Digi Sport in Romania; DigitAlb in Albania and Kosovo; Nova Sport in Czech Republic and Slovakia; Viaplay in Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania (though Setanta Sports will take over next season). It remains to be seen how this new deal will affect these existing broadcasting arrangements.
Andreas Kaeshammer, Head of Football at Infront said that this new approach allows them to combine forces for maximum value. Their joint ambition is to increase Bundesliga’s reach further while granting fans even broader access to both leagues.
Peer Naubert at Bundesliga International echoed similar sentiments stating that they believe Infront's history delivering results globally makes them an ideal partner for achieving their goals.
Infront have been active lately with multiple deals
In addition to its recent tie-up with LFP where it will manage international media rights for France’s top two football leagues, Infront is also working with Italy’s Serie A in 36 markets across the Asia-Pacific region. The agency will handle match production and feed distribution while helping to create content around the competitions to grow its reach.
Infront Labs, the agency's technology and innovation arm, will work with LFP to enhance fan engagement and media offerings through new technologies.
Despite these promising developments, Bundesliga is currently facing significant difficulties selling its next set of domestic media rights.
DAZN, one of Bundesliga's two incumbent domestic rightsholders (alongside Sky Deutschland), has threatened legal action against the DFL German soccer body for not accepting its bid in a recent tender. This has led to a suspension of the tender process for domestic rights launched in mid-April.
This partnership between Infront and Bundesliga International promises exciting times ahead for football fans across Europe. However, it remains crucial that ongoing challenges are addressed effectively to ensure a smooth transition into this new era of broadcasting.
