A report put together by 16 Bundesliga clubs has called for change in the distribution of television revenues in domestic football, along with a restructuring of the German Football Association (DFB) and its flagship cup competition the DFB-Pokal.
German newspaper Bild reported on the document, entitled “future strategic orientation of the Bundesliga”, today (Friday). The report is said to call for a reduction in the share of revenues enjoyed by clubs from the 2.Bundesliga, the second tier of domestic football.
Bild said this would freeze the amount distributed at the current mark of €142m ($158.6m) per season, effectively reducing the share from 20 per cent to under 15 per cent due to the expected rise in value of the next broadcast rights deal.
The German Football League (DFL) last week launched a tender process for the next cycle of international media rights for a range of its properties, including the top-tier Bundesliga. The rights will cover four seasons, from 2017-18 to 2020-21, and cover more than 50 territories, predominantly in Europe but also in “neighbouring countries”. Included in the sales process are rights to the second-tier 2.Bundesliga, the Supercup annual match and the relegation play-offs, as well as the Bundesliga.
The DFL said last month that it is expecting to complete its tender for the next cycle of domestic rights by the start of the Uefa Euro 2016 tournament in France this June, despite the likely introduction of a “no single buyer” rule in the sales process by the country’s cartel office, the Bundeskartellamt.
The document also contains two proposals for reform of the DFB-Pokal. Both variants require an increase in the number of participants to either 100 or 76 clubs, with leading Bundesliga teams entering the competition at a later stage than at present.
Peter Peters, a board member at Bundesliga club Schalke 04, told Bild: “This paper is only a result of an exchange of (views) of 16 Bundesliga teams. In principle, we always think about how we can stay competitive against the other international leagues.”
The DFL told German news agency DPA that the reform proposals do not reflect its opinions, adding that they represent a “non-binding exchange of views”.