German telco Deutsche Telekom has reportedly acquired all rights to the 2024 Uefa European Championship, displacing long-term media partners for the tournament public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF.
Deutsche Telekom will exploit the rights on its pay-television OTT platform Magenta TV, according to local media. However, Germany’s listed-events legislation dictates that the national team’s matches, opening match, semi-finals and final, will have to be shown free-to-air.
This opens up the opportunity for ARD and ZDF, or other free-to-air broadcasters, to acquire key rights from Deutsche Telekom.
Euro 2024 will be held in Germany, and the media rights to the tournament have been sold first in the host country. Uefa launched an invitation to tender for the rights on June 11, with a deadline for the submission of bids on July 9.
The sales process has been administered by CAA Eleven, Uefa’s exclusive marketing agency for the sale of media and commercial rights relating to its national team competitions.
Euro 2024 rights are being sold before the Euro 2020 tournament has taken place. ARD and ZDF acquired rights to Euro 2020 in October 2016. The broadcasters are long-term partners of Uefa for the European Championships.
Deutsche Telekom’s current football rights portfolio is limited to the German third-tier 3. Liga, whilst also holding rights to Euroleague basketball and domestic basketball and ice hockey leagues.
The telco recently promoted Michael Schuld to the role of head of its television business unit, with responsibility for MagentaTV.