Bundesliga TV rights (2021-2025): German Competition Authority does not want an exclusive buyer

The Bundeskartellamt (equivalent to the German Competition Authority) has asked the DFL to amend its call for tenders for the broadcasting rights of the Bundesliga in Germany for the 2021-2025 season, according to German media on 20/01/2020.

The call for tenders, which could be launched at the end of February 2020, will consist of five lots, one of which would be reserved for free channels and four for pay-TV or OTT operators. The German Competition Authority does not want these four lots to be acquired by a single operator, according to German media.

"I'm asking a big question mark as to whether we need a no-single-buyer rule again. Due to the technical possibilities in connection with the content strategies of new or existing market participants, there is also enough competition (for the next call for tenders for the domestic TV rights to DFL competitions)," said Christian Seifert, CEO of the DFL, to the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung on 22/03/2019. The "no-single-buyer rule" was introduced during the tender for the domestic audiovisual rights of the Bundesliga, 2.Bundesliga…