Bundesliga: RTL, ARD, Eurosport, Sky and Axel Springer to compete for the 2019-2023 domestic rights

The German broadcaster RTL has declared its interest in acquiring the Bundesliga domestic TV rights, in particular the rights to broadcast match highlights in a dedicated magazine programme, as well as the rights to broadcast live matches, according to the German media on 12/05/2016. "We are interested in attractive sports rights, but not at any price," said Anke Schäferkordt, president of RTL, to the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung on 12/05/2016.

The DFL launched the tender for the audiovisual rights, in Germany, for the 2017-2021 period, for the Bundesliga, the 2.Bundesliga, the promotion-relegation play-offs and the German Supercup, on 21/03/2016. The "magazine" rights for the 2013-2017 period are held by the public channel ARD for their highlights programme "Sportschau" broadcast on Saturday and Sunday.

ARD expressed its interest in the tender, via Axel Balkausky, the sports editor of the channel, to German media on 27/04/2016. Eurosport, Axel Springer or Sky Deutschland, which will lose its monopoly following the introduction of a "no single buyer rule" (validated by the…