German commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 is interested in acquiring the free-to-air rights to the Uefa Europa League, according to the company’s sporting director Sven Froberg.
The rights failed to attract strong enough bids for Uefa to award them when they were first put on the market in Germany along with the Champions League rights last April. Uefa was offering the rights for both competitions in the 2012-13 to 2014-15 cycle.
Sat.1 is the current holder of the free-to-air Europa League rights, in the 2009-10 to 2011-12 cycle. It also has the Champions League free-to-air rights in the current cycle.
Sky Deutschland acquired the pay-television rights for the Europa League in 2012-13 to 2014-15 last year, covering all matches on a live and delayed basis, and highlights. Public-service broadcaster ZDF outbid Sat.1 to snatch the free-to-air rights for the Champions League for the next cycle.
Froberg told German news agency DPA a decision on a bid will be made “in the coming weeks”. “We hold the Europa League close to our hearts,” Froberg said. “We are in talks and will check whether this is economically feasible.”