Bundesliga: "Up to 10,000 illegal uploads or live-streams on any matchday" (S. Merkel, DFL)

"Up to 10,000 illegal uploads or live-streams are detected on any Bundesliga matchday. The DFL not only makes full use of the available legal means to protect its transmission rights. We also work closely with European and international institutions," said Steffen Merkel, DFL executive board member and director of audiovisual rights, on 31/01/2023.

To combat sports piracy, the DFL set up a joint venture with Athletia, a German media services and solutions company, named "ryghts", on 07/08/2019. The German Professional League also "plays an active part" in the Sports Rights Owners Coalition (SROC, an international forum of more than 50 sports bodies and competition organisers) and the Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA, covering mainly Europe and the Middle East).

"“Every professional sport organisation faces the same challenge. But because of its great popularity, football is especially affected by piracy. To us as a league organisation, live broadcasts represent the most valuable content. This means we must detect every illegal activity immediately and take countermeasures…