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Germany: Regulator bans Bundesliga TV exclusivity

By  |  February 3, 2016

The Bundesliga will not be allowed to sell exclusive rights for live television broadcasts after the country’s competition watchdog insisted on a “no single buyer” rule for the imminent rights auction, according to Reuters.

While German football fans may have to subscribe to more than one pay-TV service to watch all live broadcasts in future, the rule may yet drive up prices in the auction this summer.

The rule could undermine the strategy of Sky Deutschland, which holds all the Bundesliga live broadcast rights to the end of the 2016/17 season, having paid €2.5 billion in 2012 to trump a bid by Deutsche Telekom.

Coverage of leading clubs such as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 has helped Sky Deutschland to record a 9 percent rise in subscriber numbers to 4.5 million.

Full content: Advanced Television

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