The Swiss Football League (SFL) has launched a new streaming service, available to anyone outside Switzerland. This move follows the end of its three-year broadcasting rights deal with OneFootball and is part of a broader trend among European football leagues seeking global exposure.
The SFL's new streaming service includes both Swiss Super League and Challenge League matches. Viewers can choose between German, French, and Italian commentary or opt for stadium noise. The first matchday was aired for free, but subsequent games are available on a pay-per-view basis at $2 per game. The platform offers 228 Super League matches and 180 Challenge League matches without any advertisements.
It also features video replays for all its matches - an option that was notably absent from OneFootball's offering. Users can create an account to access a 'no spoiler' mode where scores are hidden after the game finishes. The stream boasts high-quality viewing with 1080-pixel resolution. However, it should be noted that this channel is unavailable in Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein due to broadcasting rights restrictions.
A shift in broadcasting strategy
In 2021 nine European leagues including Norway Eliteserien, Danish Superliga and Polish Ekstraklasa combined their rights in frustration over their inability to gain global exposure through non-domestic deals. They signed a broadcasting deal with OneFootball which allowed them to broadcast their matches for free in certain territories.
Three years later Denmark, Poland and Switzerland have exited this combined effort due to various reasons such as lack of renewal of rights by OneFootball or absence of American partners for broadcasting like in the case of Danish Superliga games.
Both Ekstraklasa (Polish league) and Swiss Super League have now launched their own direct-to-customer streaming services.
Swiss Super League still underrated
The Swiss Super League kicked off this past weekend with some exciting games. Despite its relative anonymity, the league arguably produces some of the best soccer out of Europe. Lausanne's thrilling 3-2 win over Basel was a highlight of a fast-paced, intense weekend that saw 17 goals across six games - an impressive average of 2.83 goals per match.
The league features notable players such as Lausanne attacking midfielder Simone Pafundi, who has been linked to Manchester United and is currently playing with Italy at the U19 Euros. Reigning Swiss Super League Golden Boot winners Chadrac Akolo and Kevin Carlos will also be playing in the league.
Swiss clubs frequently compete in top levels of European soccer. Last season, Young Boys made it to the Champions League group stage while Servette advanced to the round of 16 in Europa Conference League. This year again Young Boys are likely contenders for Champions League's revamped group stage while Lugano, Servette, Zürich and St.Gallen could also advance to higher leagues. SFL's new streaming service offers an exciting opportunity for sports fans outside Switzerland to enjoy high-quality football matches from one of Europe’s most competitive leagues.
