Bundesliga: DAZN wins its legal battle against the DFL – what consequences for the fans?

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By By Joan

The recent ruling regarding broadcasting rights for the Bundesliga has significant implications for football fans. Indeed, the platform DAZN has won a legal victory against the DFL, resulting in a major change in the allocation of TV rights for upcoming seasons.

A decisive ruling for DAZN

The arbitration court’s decision invalidated the allocation of TV rights aimed at broadcasting the largest set of Bundesliga matches, including 196 live matches. This package, designated as package B, must now be reconfigured for the 2025/26 season. DAZN had submitted a bid of 1.6 billion euros for this package, which is 400 million euros per year. However, the DFL demanded a bank guarantee within 24 hours, which DAZN was unable to provide.

Sky had initially been chosen for this package, but that decision has since been overturned. However, DAZN did not obtain all that it requested, as the court ruled that the platform did not meet all the requirements of the tender.

Impact on Sky and the next steps

Sky, which lost the right to exploit package B, may consider contesting this decision in a higher court. Such action can only be taken in November, following the communication of the court’s reasoning.

Regarding the future of the tender process, the DFL announced that it would provide information on upcoming developments after an internal assessment. The goal is to ensure legal security, to avoid any further disruptions due to legal challenges.

Consequences for subscriptions and pricing

The question of subscriptions remains uncertain. The tender process is expected to last between two to three weeks, with results announcements anticipated between autumn and next spring. The increase in subscription prices is also a topic of speculation; DAZN had proposed a fairly high budget, which could influence prices, although an immediate increase is considered unlikely.

Sky is currently paying around 595 million euros for 200 matches on Saturdays. The dynamics of the tender could force Sky to reconsider its bid, which could impact subscription prices.

Sustainability of TV rights providers

Despite the court’s decision, the current trend seems to indicate that DAZN and Sky will continue to compete for broadcasting rights. This cooperation may also extend, with both entities showing signs of willingness to continue their collaboration with the DFL.

Finally, DAZN had been used to aggressively targeting the desired rights package, but with the lifting of the element of surprise, Sky will now be able to anticipate and potentially improve its bidding strategy to secure a strong position in the competition for these valuable rights.

Source: www.bild.de