BT Sport extends exclusively live Bundesliga football until 2017
BT Sport has won another victory by securing exclusively live German Bundesliga football in the UK and Republic of Ireland until 2017, following a competitive tender for the new rights.
The new two-year contract, which starts in September 2015, means that BT Sport will show around 115 live matches a season from the highly-rated German top flight – which is about 15 more matches than the current deal. BT Sport will also have the rights to the annual DFL Supercup matches plus previews and highlights shows.
The Bundesliga deal will add to the European riches on offer for BT Sport customers, as it coincides with the start of BT’s exclusive live rights to the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. BT won the exclusive live broadcast rights to all 350 matches from both tournaments. The rights run for three seasons from 2015/16.
BT Sport already holds the current rights to show the Bundesliga exclusively live in the UK. For the remainder of the current season and next season, the channels will continue to show around 100 live matches, plus action from the DFL Supercup and preview and highlights shows.
The action from the German top flight has seen some of the most fascinating football on offer in Europe this year, as current Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League holders Bayern Munich power ahead of their close rivals Borussia Dortmund, who they beat in the Wembley final of the UEFA Champions League last season, and Bayer Leverkusen, managed by former Liverpool legend Sami Hyypia.
The UK audience reach for the Bundesliga on BT Sport this season is up 70 per cent from last season’s audience figure.
Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: “We are really thrilled that we will continue to be the home of Bundesliga for the next three seasons until 2017.
“Combined with our incredible line-up of exclusively live matches from the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League, the Bundesliga takes its place in our schedule as one of the premium European league competitions, having provided both European finalists last season.
“Our viewers have loved the opportunity to watch live matches involving some of the most outstanding teams in Europe and pitting charismatic managers like Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp against each other.
“I am delighted that the Bundesliga recognised that BT Sport has made a big commitment to German football and will continue to promote and foster the league for UK sports lovers in the future.”
Jorg Daubitzer, managing director of DFL Sports Enterprises, said: “Bundesliga football is held in high regard at BT Sport, something which is not least of all reflected in the broad-based high quality reporting which it receives. Never before have so many Bundesliga matches been shown with such broad penetration in the United Kingdom. We are very pleased to be able to continue this successful cooperation.”
BT Sport is the UK's newest and most vibrant sports TV service, with three channels showing live top tier action from the Barclays Premier League and the Aviva Premiership as well as a host of other sport. BT has more than two-and-a-half million customers who take the service and the channels reach more than four million homes when BT’s wholesale deal with Virgin Media is taken into account.
It is also the home for other top European league football, showing regular live matches from France's Ligue1 and Italy's Serie A.
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Notes to editors
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