NENT Group extends Bundesliga rights until 2025
- NENT Group to show more than 300 live Bundesliga games on Viaplay every season
- Bundesliga includes world-class teams such as FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund and features Nordic stars like Erling Braut Håland and Thomas Delaney
- NENT Group shows more than 50,000 hours of the world’s best live sporting action every year
Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group), the Nordic region’s leading streaming company, has extended its exclusive pan-Nordic media rights to German Bundesliga football until 2025. Under the new agreement, NENT Group will show more than 300 live Bundesliga games on its Viaplay streaming service every season and selected games on its linear TV channels. NENT Group will deliver world-class studio productions that enable fans to follow some of the Nordic region’s most popular superstars on a weekly basis. The deal also includes the exclusive pan-Nordic rights to the German Super Cup, 2. Bundesliga and the Bundesliga relegation play-off matches. NENT Group already holds the pan-Nordic Bundesliga rights until 2021.
The Bundesliga is ranked among UEFA’s top three leagues and features European giants FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund as well as popular teams like Borussia Mönchengladbach, FC Schalke 04, RB Leipzig, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, 1. FC Köln and SV Werder Bremen.
Thomas Delaney and Youssef Poulsen (Denmark); Emil Forsberg, Robin Quaison and Oscar Wendt (Sweden); Lukáš Hrádecký (Finland); and Alfreð Finnbogason (Iceland) are among the 23 Nordic stars currently playing in the Bundesliga, with an additional 20 players appearing in 2. Bundesliga. In January 2020, 19-year old Norwegian striking sensation Erling Braut Håland scored a 23-minute hat-trick on his Borussia Dortmund debut, and has since netted a record-breaking seven goals in his first three Bundesliga games.
The Bundesliga also showcases German superstars such as Marco Reus, Manuel Neuer, Serge Gnabry, Timo Werner and Thomas Müller, along with international names such as Robert Lewandowski, Philippe Coutinho and Jadon Sancho.
The Bundesliga is the world’s best supported football league with an average of 43,000 fans attending every game in the 2018-19 season. Most Bundesliga clubs are majority owned by their supporters, which creates a unique and passionate fan culture.
In addition to expert studio analysis and extensive local language commentary, NENT Group will show at least one Bundesliga match a week in Ultra High Definition format.
Kim Mikkelsen, NENT Group Head of Sport: “The Bundesliga is one of Europe’s best and most exciting leagues, and holds enormous interest from a Nordic perspective. This long-term deal means fans can see many of the region’s biggest talents every week on Viaplay, including Erling Braut Håland – the first teenager in the league’s history to score seven goals in only three Bundesliga games. NENT Group is the Nordic region’s leading streaming company and the breadth of our football coverage is simply in a league of its own.”
Robert Klein, Bundesliga International CEO: “Over the past few years NENT Group has taken coverage of the Bundesliga to the next level across the Nordic region. This has been helped by the strong connections the league has with Nordic fans. They’re attracted by the pure, entertaining soccer we describe as ‘Football As It’s Meant To Be’. This authenticity is why so many Nordic stars have made a significant impact in Germany, none more so than Erling Braut Håland who is the hottest striker in the world right now. We look forward to capitalising on this as we continue to develop the positive relationship we have built with NENT Group.”
In addition to the Bundesliga, NENT Group holds the rights to the UEFA Champions League, the English Premier League, EFL Championship and FA Cup, France’s Ligue 1, Denmark’s Superliga, Belgium’s First Division A, the Netherlands’ Eredivisie, the Scottish Premiership and the world’s top three women’s football leagues. NENT Group has also acquired the exclusive Danish rights to UEFA Euro 2020.
NENT Group brings millions of fans closer to the sports they love – every shot, every goal, every touchdown, every putt, every punch, every lap, every time. NENT Group shows more than 50,000 hours of the world’s best live sporting action every year on its streaming services and TV channels, including NHL and KHL ice hockey, UEFA Champions League, Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 football, Formula 1, IndyCar, NFL American football, boxing, UFC, tennis, basketball, handball and golf.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Nordic Entertainment Group AB (publ) (NENT Group) is the Nordic region’s leading entertainment provider. We entertain millions of people every day with our streaming services, TV channels and radio stations, and our production companies create content that is experienced around the world. We make life more entertaining by telling stories, touching lives and expanding worlds – from live sports, movies and series to music and original shows. Headquartered in Stockholm, NENT Group is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (‘NENT A’ and ‘NENT B’).
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About Bundesliga
The Bundesliga is the premier professional association football league in Germany and the football league with the highest average stadium attendance worldwide. The league was established in 1963 and comprises 18 teams which operate on a system of promotion and relegation with the Bundesliga 2. The Bundesliga is broadcast on television in over 200 countries and is operated by the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL).
Bundesliga Contact
All enquiries for Bundesliga International should be sent to bli_europe@apcoworldwide.com or +49 69 260 14 08 17
