April 28 – The preference for longer term broadcast deals is increasing with Germany’s Bundesliga agreeing a deal with Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT) that will run through to 2029.
The nine country deal for streaming more than 300 live matches a season, wlll cover Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Matches will broadcast on NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service, along with studio programming and local language commentary.
The deal also includes the exclusive rights to the German Supercup and the Bundesliga relegation play-offs.
The partners say that neither have entered into an agreement of this length. With more than 60 players from the nine NENT Group markets currently feature in Germany’s top two divisions, the broadcaster will have the Bundesliga as “a cornerstone” of its streaming offering.
Anders Jensen, NENT Group President and CEO: “Viaplay can now bring supporters in our new and established markets even closer to their heroes every week until the end of the decade. This historic partnership across nine countries is exactly what we are aiming for – long contracts that allow us to take a long-term perspective on developing the service for existing and, very importantly, future fans.. This takes NENT Group one step closer to realising our ambition of being the European streaming champion.”
Viaplay launched in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on March 9 and will be available in Poland from August 2021, where Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München/Poland) will obviously be a marquee driver of subscription sign-ups.
Robert Klein, Bundesliga International CEO: “By committing to this long-term agreement, we are once again reaffirming our strategic approach to work hand-in-hand with our partners and deliver a world-class product to fans throughout Europe. Given NENT Group’s streaming ambitions and attitude towards innovation, which reflects our own ethos, NENT Group and the Bundesliga are building on the foundations of a great partnership, and we look forward to many more exciting moments together in the coming years.”
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