Sky’s rivals seek ‘no single buyer rule’ for Bundesliga rights – report

Competitors of German pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland are reportedly lobbying the country’s federal cartel office, the Bundeskartellamt, to introduce a ‘no single buyer rule’ to the bidding process for rights to the Bundesliga, the top division of German football.

German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said several companies are behind the proposal, which would mean Bundesliga rights would need to be assigned to at least two bidders.

A tender for the next cycle of Bundesliga rights, from 2017-18 to 2020-21, is expected to be opened by the middle of 2016. In April 2012, Sky held off competition from telco Deutsche Telekom to acquire the key pay-television and mobile rights packages to the Bundesliga from 2013-14 to 2016-17.

Sky acquired all live pay-television rights packages, including the IPTV rights which Telekom held in the previous cycle. Sky also acquired the mobile rights which Telekom had held.

FAZ said the companies lobbying the Bundeskartellamt include media group Constantin Medien, which operates sports broadcaster Sport1, and Deutsche Telekom.