DFL announces invitation to tender for national media rights and launches registration phase

10 February 2020 – Today, the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga announced an invitation to tender for the allocation of media rights to the matches of the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2, the Supercup and to relegation play-offs for the four seasons from 2021-22 to 2024-25 for exploitation in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and South Tyrol. The tendering process will be open, transparent and free from discrimination.

Tenders are invited for the following rights:

  • Audiovisual rights, i.e. video rights, for live exploitation and delayed exploitation via satellite, terrestrial, cable/IPTV, web and mobile distribution channels
  • Audio exploitation rights, i.e. rights to (live) radio reporting, including radio, web and mobile distribution channels
  • Exploitation rights for digital advertising and information systems, i.e. rights to broadcast video via outdoor digital advertising spaces in public (“digital out-of-home”)

All companies interested in acquiring the media exploitation rights can register to participate in the invitation to tender at DFL GmbH from today. The registration form is available at https://www.dfl.de/de/aktuelles/ausschreibung2020.

To kick off the invitation to tender, the DFL will then send the registered companies a “procedure letter” no earlier than 27 February. The procedure letter will include the schedule and procedural rules for the implementation of the invitation to tender, especially the deadlines and criteria for admission to the invitation to tender, the procedure for submitting bids, and the criteria and procedure for the allocation of the advertised rights packages.

Currently, the German Federal Cartel Office is still performing the final review of the details of the allocation mechanisms. Once the Federal Cartel Office has completed its authoritative review of the marketing model underlying the invitation to tender, the DFL will send all admitted companies the invitation to tender documentation, most likely in March, which will also include the final structure of the rights packages and the other contractual provisions. The allocation decision is expected to be made in May.