After DAZN complaint, DFL stops auction of TV rights for Bundesliga
April 17, 2024, 10:30 p.m
It is a first-of-its-kind action: the DFL is stopping the sale of TV rights for the Bundesliga. The background is the allegations made by the streaming service DAZN, which applied for the largest rights package.
The German Football League (DFL) has stopped selling TV rights. The league confirmed this in the evening. According to reports from “Bild” and “Frankfurter Rundschau”, the background to the so far unique action is a complaint from DAZN. The streaming platform has therefore sent a letter to the two DFL managing directors Marc Lenz and Steffen Merkel as well as the clubs and made serious allegations. The management in turn informed the clubs about the interruption. A spokesman said in the evening: “The DFL clearly rejects the allegations.”
The Bundesliga sells its media rights every four years. The auction for the 2025/26 to 2028/29 seasons started this week at a secret location outside the DFL headquarters. The process is now stopped. The DFL is currently discussing how to proceed.
DAZN is said to have felt unfairly treated when bidding for package B. B is the largest package with the games on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and on Friday evening as well as the relegation games. This pack contains a total of 196 live games. According to “Bild” and “Frankfurter Rundschau”, it is controversial that DAZN did not provide a bank guarantee, “but rather issued a tough letter of comfort,” as the letter states. “Despite this previously accepted position, on Monday April 15, 2024, in the middle of the tender process, you demanded a very specific bank guarantee from DAZN within 24 hours – an impossible task.”
The DFL rejects the accusation. “The letter from DAZN Group Limited also contains a number of incorrect representations and shortenings of facts,” says the management’s letter to the clubs. “We will also comment on this to the Federal Cartel Office. DFL GmbH will of course carry out the procedure in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner in accordance with the tender procedures presented to the Federal Cartel Office and the regulations of the tender documents.”
2024-04-17 20:30:00
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