Bundesliga: matches on Monday night and "no single buyer" rule in the tender for the 2017-21 rights

The DFL has revealed the composition of lots and new features in the tender for the domestic audiovisual rights to the Bundesliga, 2.Bundesliga and German Supercup for the 2017-2021 cycle, on 12/04/2016. This tender was launched on 21/03/2016 by the German league, which hopes to award the lots ahead of Euro 2016.

The main novelty is the introduction of a "no single buyer rule", validated by the Bundeskartellamt (German anti-monopoly body) on 11/04/2016, which had been requested, in early December 2015, to the German federal office by a delegation of different media and telecommunications operators, and also FC Bayern Munich. This rule, which directly targets the broadcaster Sky Deutschland, prevents one single broadcaster from acquiring all the live broadcast rights across all broadcast modes.

Other new features include the introduction of new broadcasting time slots for clubs participating in the Europa League: Sundays at 13:30 and Mondays at 20:30, each for five times in the season. In addition, a lot now offers the ability for a free channel to broadcast, on Monday evenings…