The Sportsman Media Group agency has agreed a deal with the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the German ice hockey league, to distribute the worldwide media rights to the league, from the 2012-13 season onwards.
Under the new deal, the Sportsman Media Group has agreed to sell the domestic rights to Servus TV, the broadcaster owned by energy drink brand Red Bull, from next season onwards. Servus TV is based in Austria but is available free-to-air in about 80 per cent of German households. The rights until the end of the 2011-12 season had been held by pay-television operator Sky Deutschland.
The league will receive about €3 million ($3.78 million) per year under the new deal, the same as it received in its previous deal with Sky, according to local media sources.
The agreement with Servus TV also includes live streaming rights to one regular-season Friday-night match per week.
The Sportsman will also manage and market the league’s website and mobile apps.
The Sportsman also acquired the internet rights for its Laola.tv website, showing the same Friday-night match as domestic rights-holder Servus TV.
Red Bull Media House will carry out the production of the league’s coverage on behalf of the Sportsman.