Rahul SahaBundesliga International, the international marketing arm of the German Bundesliga, has announced the signing of a three-year extension deal with Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India for the exclusive media rights to broadcast top-tier Bundesliga matches in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and the Maldives.
Indian football fans can continue to catch live action from the Bundesliga on Sony Sports Network and their on-demand OTT platform, SonyLIV.
The deal is now set to run until the end of the 2025-26 season. To further engage football fans in India, Bundesliga is also launching “Goal Arena – the Bundesliga Konferenz”, a special feed that will, for the first time, enable viewers to watch the best action from the five matches taking place simultaneously on a Saturday evening.
Speaking on the announcement of the deal, Peer Naubert, Bundesliga International Chief Marketing Officer, said:
“Building long-term relationships with market leaders like Sony is key to our strategy as we seek to cement our position as the fastest growing league. The success of this model is clear when we see that our live audience numbers have doubled in the last two seasons, and ensuring our fans feel connected, no matter where they are in the world, is extremely important to us.
“The Bundesliga is often considered the home of Asian talent, having fielded more Asian players in the last 20 years than the other top four European leagues combined. We value this position and, working alongside Sony, hope to inspire the next generation of Indian football talent.”
Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer – Distribution & International Business and Head – Sports Business SPN, said:
“We are pleased to extend our partnership with Bundesliga International for three more years. We have seen significant growth in viewership since we started broadcasting the Bundesliga on our network. The stature of the league, the legacy of the clubs and the players, and the favourable broadcast timing in conjunction with our marketing and programming efforts will further help grow the following of Bundesliga in India.”
