German public-service broadcaster ZDF has agreed a three-year extension to its rights deal for the Champions League club competition with Uefa, European football’s governing body.
The new deal will include the 2015-16 to 2017-18 seasons of the Champions League, along with the editions of the Super Cup competition that are held during this period. ZDF’s current three-year contract with Uefa was due to expire following the 2014-15 season.
Under the terms of the new agreement, ZDF will broadcast 18 games per season free-to-air on an exclusive basis. These games will be broadcast on a Wednesday, but ZDF has the possibility of televising games featuring German clubs on a Tuesday during the knockout stages of the Champions League under Uefa’s ‘follow your team’ rule.
ZDF director Thomas Bellut said: “Attractive football broadcasts are an important part of our sports service and an essential factor for audience acceptance – especially amongst younger viewers.”
ZDF’s deal comes after Sky Deutschland on Monday extended its contract for pay-television rights in Germany to the Champions League. The deal with Uefa will also run for three years, from 2015-16 to 2017-18. Under the terms of the agreement, Sky will show 146 matches live per season, with 128 of the games being shown on an exclusive basis.