Germany

German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF have extended a rights deal with the German Fencing Federation.

A complaint lodged by German pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland against federal cartel office the Bundeskartellamt over the implementation of a ‘no single buyer rule’ for the domestic rights process to the Bundesliga, the top division of German football, has been dismissed.

DAZN, the OTT service operated by digital sports media company Perform, is set to acquire live coverage of Uefa Champions League football matches in Germany alongside pay-television broadcaster Sky, according to reports.

German sports broadcaster Sport1 has agreed a deal with video game developer EA Sports to stream live coverage of the Fifa 17 Ultimate Team Championship Series esports competition.

German sports broadcaster Sport1 has acquired rights for this year’s editions of the Fifa Confederations Cup and the Uefa Under-21 European Championship national team football tournaments.

The Highlight Event and Entertainment company has approved an ordinary capital increase and the extension and increase of its authorised share capital amid reports that chairman Bernhard Burgener will seek to use this to drive a takeover bid for German media company Constantin Medien.

German commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 has linked up with media and entertainment company Discovery Communications to launch an OTT 50:50 joint venture in the country.

DAZN last month secured Major League Baseball rights, the only major US sports property missing from its portfolio in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Media and entertainment company Discovery Communications is faced with another carriage dispute after pan-European pay-television operator M7 Group said it will stop providing Discovery channels through its platforms by the end of the month if talks over a new deal do not come to a satisfactory conclusion.

German telco Deutsche Telekom has agreed a deal with SportA, the sports-rights agency that represents public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF, that will grant it early access to rights to the men’s 3. Liga club football competition.

Bundesliga International, the new sales and marketing unit of the German Football League (DFL), has appointed Robert Klein as its chief commercial officer.

German sports broadcaster Sport1 has acquired rights to motor-racing series the World Endurance Championship.

Chinese retail giant Suning has agreed a media and strategic partnership with the German Football League (DFL), according to Kicker.

A collective of major broadcasters and Europe’s leading football organisations have joined forces to call on the G7 group of industrial nations to take action to tackle internet piracy.

Highlight Communications has said it has taken measures to ward off hostile takeover attempts as the dispute with its parent company, German media company Constantin Medien, continues.

German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF have acquired rights to the 2017 Uefa European Under-21 Championship national team football tournament.