The value of the broadcast rights for Germany’s top league, the first major European soccer deal agreed upon since the health crisis, fell amid concerns about the lasting damage to the global economy.
Germany’s top soccer league continues to be a bellwether for sports.
The Bundesliga’s return to action in May after a two-month hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic gave other big leagues the courage, and also some helpful guidance, as they pressed forward with their own returns. Now the Bundesliga has become the first major European soccer competition to sell its domestic broadcast rights since the coronavirus outbreak.
The clues from Germany this time are far less reassuring.
The sale generated less than the record 4.6 billion euros ($5.1 billion) the Bundesliga earned under its current agreements, but not by a significant amount, according to two people with knowledge of the sale, which will be announced on Monday. The pool of broadcasters narrowed in the new deal, too, with all the games divided by Sky, the longtime incumbent, and the streaming service DAZN.
The Bundesliga, DAZN and Sky Deutschland all declined to comment on the deal.
The modest decrease in the new deal could be encouraging for leagues and clubs nervous about the game’s financial future. But the reduced fee — and the smaller pool of interested bidders — could also be a worrying harbinger for dozens of other leagues and broadcasters as they head into negotiations uncertain if games will be played on schedule, in front of fans — or even if they will take place at all.
