The Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL), the governing body of German soccer, has partnered with OneFootball, a leading soccer video and editorial site, to launch an international over-the-top (OTT) platform in select territories. The service will allow viewers in these markets to watch every Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 match live.
Following the successful debut of this service in India in August – which offered exclusive live coverage of all second-tier Bundesliga 2 matches – the 'Bundesliga Pass' OTT service is now set for expansion into Vietnam and South Africa.
This digital offering aims to complement existing local broadcast agreements. In Vietnam, live television rights are currently held by pay-TV broadcaster VTVcab. In contrast, state broadcaster SABC and pay-TV operator StarTimes share rights in South Africa.
Launch dates & future plans
The 'Bundesliga Pass' was officially launched last week in Vietnam while it is scheduled to go live in South Africa come January 2025. The DFL has hinted that further international markets could follow suit. Through this partnership with OneFootball, both Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 matches will be co-exclusively live-streamed via the OneFootball platform. This platform is accessible on mobile devices, connected TV applications as well as their website.
To enhance viewer experience beyond just watching games live, short-form video content along with highlights from matches will be provided as supplementary programming from the DFL’s International Product Portfolio.
This new partnership builds on existing ties between the DFL and OneFootball; notably, OneFootball already holds rights to stream the Bundesliga games within Brazil's territory. Marc Lenz expressed his enthusiasm about this development stating that after concluding its protracted domestic sales process, the DFL can now shift its focus to international rights.
Marc Lenz, DFL CEO, said:
“Our new OTT offering for international markets represents a strategic move to further enhance the visibility of Bundesliga content around the globe, providing us with more flexibility and new options in the marketing of our media rights. The media landscape and the media consumption behaviour of fans have changed – and this partnership and new offering is a key component in reaching football fans around the world.”
Bundesliga's main broadcast partners
Pay-TV giant Sky Deutschland and global sports streaming service DAZN will continue to serve as the Bundesliga’s main broadcast partners after securing the primary live rights packages. Free-to-air commercial broadcaster Sat.1 has also secured an extensive live free-to-air (FTA) rights package.
ARD and ZDF, Germany's two prominent public service broadcasters, have retained highlight rights packages. Meanwhile, multi-channel FTA network Sport1 also holds rights to broadcast highlights of Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga games.
This partnership between DFL and OneFootball is set to bring German soccer closer to fans in Vietnam and South Africa while enhancing their viewing experience with additional content.
