ESPN and DFL, the commercial arm of the German Bundesliga, have agreed a three year agreement (seasons 2012/13 – 2014/15) for live coverage of the Bundesliga to remain on ESPN in the UK and Ireland. The agreement includes exclusive rights to live television coverage, plus rights to the German SuperCup, promotion and relegation matches, a weekly preview and highlights programme, as well as rights for content across video-on-demand, online and mobile platforms.
On ESPN, ESPN will televise up to four matches per week (all in HD). Online and on mobile, ESPN will provide UK fans with the latest news, information, analysis, and exclusive video on ESPN.co.uk and ESPNFC.com, the sports media company’s recently announced worldwide multimedia football initiative.
Over coming seasons, football fans will be able to see some of Europe’s top clubs, including last season’s UEFA Champions League finalists Bayern Munich and current Bundesliga title-holders Borussia Dortmund (who will be aiming for their third consecutive title this season) as well as Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Schalke 04 who will join Bayern Munich and Dortmund in the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League. Fans can expect Bayern Munich and Dortmund to be locked in a battle for supremacy again this season after Bayern finished runners-up to Dortmund in both the league and the German Cup last season.
The league boasts the highest average attendance of any European football league, which ensures a dynamic atmosphere all season. Each week, fans at the matches and ESPN viewers in the UK and Ireland, will see some of the world’s most exciting players in action, including the stars of Germany’s powerful national team, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mario Gomez, Thomas Mueller, Manuel Neuer and Philipp Lahm; top young football talent such as Mario Götze, Toni Kroos, Xherdan Shaqiri, Marco Reus and Robert Lewandowski; and established European stars such as Arjen Robben, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Łukasz Piszczek and Franck Ribéry.
The Bundesliga forms a key part of ESPN’s coverage of a wide range of UK and European football, which this season also includes the Barclays Premier League, the FA Cup, UEFA Europa League and other European domestic leagues. ESPN also recently announced more than 25 pre-season friendlies featuring top Barclays Premier League and major European sides, including Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, allowing fans to get ready for the season ahead.
In addition to live and exclusive TV coverage of the Bundesliga and other top European leagues, fans can find discussion analysis of the latest in football on ESPN Press Pass. ESPN’s daily football show looks at the global game with a global perspective and brings fans all the latest news, information and opinion about the Bundesliga and all the other top leagues around the world.
