Media: Ex-DFL boss Seifert mixes up the sports TV market

media
Ex-DFL boss Seifert mixes up the sports TV market

Since leaving the German Football League, Christian Seifert has been stirring up the sports TV market. The long-standing DFL boss diligently bought media rights and convinced four federal leagues of his project within just under three months.

In addition, Seifert hires staff, including from his former employer. The competition has been startled – and many sports lovers are wondering: What does it all mean?

The offer becomes more confusing

For the fan it is initially even more confusing. In addition to the classic television channels such as ARD, ZDF or RTL, there are two major pay providers for sports, Sky and DAZN. There are also numerous streaming offers such as RTL+ or Amazon as well as platforms such as “sportdeutschland.tv” or “sporttotal.tv”.

And now there is Seifert with S Nation Media, a sports streaming service completely without football. The joint media company of the former football manager and the media group Axel Springer has so far acquired the rights for table tennis, volleyball and basketball.

With the decision of the Executive Committee of the Handball Bundesliga to work with the new sports streaming platform from 2023, the fourth right is considered safe. According to HBL, “final contract talks” are currently taking place: “The aim of both parties is to agree on long-term cooperation up to and including the 2028/29 season.”

Discussions with other sports leagues

That is – to stay in the language of sports – the king transfer. The new project would hardly have been possible without handball and its broad fan base. In line with this, Seifert has now announced the next steps. “Long-term agreements with four professional leagues are an excellent starting point,” said the managing partner of S Nation Media. Talks are underway “with other sports leagues about media rights”.

Seifert also had to cope with a strong setback. In the competition for the German Ice Hockey League, the previous rights holder Telekom, who had lost in basketball, prevailed. “There is no question that after the successful deals in recent weeks, we would have been happy to have the DEL on the platform in the future,” said S-Nation manager Marcel Wontorra.

New subscriptions are required

Handball and basketball fans will have to change from 2023 and take out a new subscription for Bundesliga broadcasts. According to information from the dpa, this should cost less than 15 euros per month.

This would make handball cheaper. Because if you want to see the Bundesliga games in the last Sky season, you need the sports package. It currently costs EUR 17.25 for new customers, then EUR 25.00 per month – and also offers tennis, Formula 1 and Premier League football. And the Handball Champions League will remain with DAZN until at least 2027.

It’s different in basketball. If you want to watch basketball on Magenta-Sport in the coming season, you pay 16.95 euros a month or 9.95 euros for an annual subscription. It is 5 euros cheaper for Telekom customers.

Also games on free tv

Seifert also relies on pictures on free television. According to dpa information, one game per game day will be shown on Springer’s free TV broadcaster Bild. And the ARD, which has a joint contract with Sky for handball until 2023, should also receive image material.

“We agreed in advance with Christian Seifert what we would like to have sublicensed if his company acquired the rights,” said ARD sports coordinator Axel Balkausky after the basketball contract. “We will now regulate this contractually with each other and will then announce it in detail.” The agreement with S Nation Media is “a clear signal from the ARD, the leagues that have an interest in showing even more extensively on all our playout channels and thus continuing on the course of presenting the diversity of sport in the programs in the future”.

dpa