The German Football League (DFL) has hit back at the independent competition advisor's claims it should reform its model for marketing rights to the Bundesliga.
In a report, the Monopolkommission recommended that “for reasons of legal certainty, [the DFL ought] not to continue the current practice” in marketing rights to the Bundesliga, the top tier of German football.
The Monopolkommission is an independent panel of experts which advises on competition policy but does not have the powers of the federal cartel office, the Bundeskartellamt. The commission said that in future the rights-selling process should be conducted following extensive investigation, in particular into consumer-orientated aspects such as the preferences of viewers and ensuring they receive coverage at a fair price.
In response to the Monopolkommission’s claims, the DFL said, according to the Tagesschau.de website: “Since 2005, the assignment of rights has taken place in a clearly defined open, transparent and non-discriminatory tender procedure. The legal and planning security for clubs, media and spectators takes place guaranteed on the basis of the applicable legal provisions.”