TV rights
Dispute with DFL: DAZN goes to arbitration
The internet broadcaster DAZN says it has contacted the German Arbitration Institution (DIS) in the dispute with the DFL. photo
© Soeren Stache/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
The dispute between the broadcaster DAZN and the German Football League over the allocation of TV rights is now being legally clarified. As announced, DAZN is involving an arbitration tribunal.
The internet broadcaster DAZN has a dispute with the According to the German Football League, the German Institution for Arbitration (DIS) was involved.
A company spokesman for the German Press Agency confirmed this expected step in the conflict over the allocation of TV rights for the Bundesliga. Going to arbitration is provided for in the DFL’s tender documents in the event of a dispute and was accepted by the bidders.
The dispute broke out after the DFL awarded TV rights package B for the 2025/26 to 2028/29 seasons to the pay-TV provider Sky at the auction two weeks ago, according to dpa information. Its competitor DAZN claims that the DFL rejected its much more lucrative offer because a bank guarantee requested at short notice could not be obtained within one day. Rights package B is the largest package with the games on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and on Friday evening as well as the relegation games.
The dispute should now be resolved legally
According to its own information, the DFL legally awarded the disputed package to another bidder. The league association explained that DAZN’s offers did not comply with the tender and were therefore not taken into account in the award. The DFL “firmly rejects” DAZN’s accusation that it was not correctly informed about the award conditions.
The dispute should now be resolved legally after violent attacks and mutual accusations. Proceedings before the arbitration tribunal usually proceed in such a way that the parties to the dispute each appoint an impartial and independent arbitrator. These two in turn select a presiding arbitrator together. The three-member arbitration tribunal is intended to ensure an amicable resolution of the dispute. If this is not possible, it decides like a regular court.
This arbitral award has the same effect as a final judgment and can only be challenged in ordinary courts due to formal violations. Arbitration proceedings usually take less time than proceedings before state courts because they are only conducted in one instance. The DFL dispute with Discovery/Eurosport over missing millions in payments lasted almost half a year in 2020.