In-car entertainment: DFL and BMW expand cooperation 

22 August 2024 – Last season, the DFL became the first major professional football league in the world to test content for in-car entertainment systems, in cooperation with BMW. The successful pilot phase is now being extended for another season. 

When the 62nd Bundesliga season kicks on Friday evening, a promising partnership will also enter the next phase. The DFL and Bavarian car manufacturer BMW will continue to bring Bundesliga highlight clips and selected live broadcasts to vehicle screens as part of a test case. The Bundesliga in-car app developed by BMW will be available to BMW customers with vehicles already equipped with the functionality, until May 2025. 

The new season brings with it an exciting further development of the project. While live images are only available in most vehicles when stationary for safety reasons, the games in the BMW 7 Series with the Level 3 Drive Pilot can even be followed live while driving – in Germany at speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour. On-demand content can also be played back as an audio stream while driving. 

Dr. Roman Schade, Head of Audiovisual Rights DACH at the DFL, says: “The successful pilot phase shows that football fans also enjoy watching the Bundesliga in their cars. The continuous improvement of the immersive experience through the technological development of in-car entertainment systems and the increased need for suitable, emotional content confirm that we are meeting the market trend with this pilot project. We are pleased to be able to continue the positive development of the idea.” 

Bernd Körber, Senior Vice President BMW Brand Management and Product Management, says: “We are delighted to be able to offer our customers the unique football experience directly in the vehicle. With the integration of the Bundesliga app, fans in the DACH region can watch a complete Bundesliga match with German commentary every two weeks, while three matches with English commentary are available internationally. In addition, weekly highlight clips will be available on-demand in the app. It is particularly important to us to offer our customers an outstanding digital experience. The close partnership with the DFL and the seamless integration of the app into our vehicles are further important steps in this direction.” 

The Bundesliga in-car app will be continuously developed during the coming season. More information on the in-car entertainment pilot project can be found here.