January 4 – Fast growing German media channel SPORT1 has acquired a three-year package of Europa League rights starting next season.
The new rights package will see SPORT1 broadcast one game per match day live on free-TV as well as via online and mobile livestream at SPORT1.de and on its digital sports radio SPORT1.fm.
The 15 match days include the final, home and away games in the knock-out phase and one game on each of the six group match days.
The deal, which starts with 2015/16 season and ends with the 2017/18 season, also includes highlight rights to all UEFA Europa League games for use on TV, online and on mobile devices. It marks a very significant step forward for SPORT1 in the German broadcast and media market.
SPORT1 will have “first pick” of games in German market and has committed an extensive cross-media programming package to the Europa League with early evening pre-match coverage, followed by post-match highlights and analysis as well as round-ups of the other games.
Programming will be carried online at SPORT1.de and on mobile via the various SPORT1 apps which will carry a parallel livestream of each TV game and corresponding pre- and post-match reporting as well as match clips.
The rights package includes live audio rights on SPORT1.fm. This season the station has broadcasts German clubs in the Champions League as well as Wolfsburg and Mönchengladbach games in the Europa League.
Olaf Schröder, Chairman of the Management of Sport1 said: “The acquisition of such a major international live right as the UEFA Europa League is a massive boost, not only to our already attractive sports-rights portfolio but also to our sports-media brand. In addition, we are underpinning our strategy of sustainable investment in SPORT1 with this long-term co-operation.
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