The Deutsche Fussball Liga, the German football league, forecast that its annual international media rights income would increase by 50 per cent to over €70 million ($91.7 million) per season in 2012-13 to 2014-15 compared to the previous three seasons. The forecast is based on the international rights deals it has agreed so far for the next cycle.
The league is opening a new Asia-Pacific office in Singapore in the first half of 2012 to drive further growth in the region. “After continually increasing sales in Asia since 2008, we want to continue this dynamic and win a larger market share in this tough field. That is best accomplished with a local office that can make possible even better contact to TV partners,” said Jörg Daubitzer, managing director of DFL Sports Enterprises, the league’s commercial arm.
DFL chief executive Christian Seifert attributed the international media rights revenue growth to the league’s increasing handling of sales in-house via DFL Sports Enterprises. “The self-marketing through the DFL subsidiary DFL Sports Enterprises has proven worthwhile,” he said. “The Bundesliga revenues from international marketing are increasing stronger than those of other top leagues.”
DFL Sports Enterprises has sought to increase the number of territories in which it has handled sales directly to broadcasters, rather than selling the rights to agencies, during its sales for the next cycle.
Meanwhile, the league’s official website will be re-launched in August with content tailored for different markets around the world.