Sportdigital, a German sports-focused broadcaster, has recently acquired last-minute rights to the Turkish Super Cup matches. This move is set to bring all matches of the tournament to the linear Sportdigital1+ channel.
The four-team competition features prominent teams such as Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Samsunspor, and Trabzonspor. The tournament structure includes two semi-finals followed by a grand final scheduled for January 10.
Galatasaray will face Trabzonspor in the opening semi-final while Fenerbahçe will take on Samsunspor in the second semi-final. All these matches will be broadcasted live on Sportdigital1+, with coverage starting today.
Notable participants
The competition boasts several German players including Leroy Sane and İlkay Gündoğan from Galatasaray who are of Turkish descent. Additionally, Samsunspor is led by German coach Thomas Reis which further strengthens the connection between Germany and this Turkish football event.
The broadcast of the Turkish Super Cup in Germany holds significance as it addresses an existing gap: despite having a large Turkish community residing within its borders, recent coverage of Turkish soccer by German broadcasters has been sparse at best. Recently, several broadcasters have made strides to address this issue. For instance, RTL has often incorporated major Turkish clubs in its selection of UEFA Europa League matches.
Similarly, the streaming giant DAZN has taken steps to cater to the Turkish audience by providing Turkish commentary for some club or national team games. Additionally, Sport1 has contributed by airing some qualifying matches on free-to-air television. Despite these efforts though, there remains no dedicated home for broadcasting games from Turkey's top-tier football league - The Super Lig - on German television.
This move by Sportdigital could potentially pave the way for more consistent coverage of Turkish football in Germany, catering to one of the largest minority ethnic groups in the country - Ethnic Turks. This isn't Sportdigital's first foray into international football. The broadcaster recently extended its deal to show Spain's Supercopa competition for another three seasons. This move further solidifies Sportdigital’s commitment to bringing diverse and exciting soccer content to German audiences.
