ESPN+ to be US home for Bundesliga
September 30, 2019
ESPN+ will be the new US home for the Bundesliga, Germany’s top domestic football league, as the result of a new multi-year agreement that will begin in August 2020.
ESPN+ will feature exclusive live and on-demand replay coverage of more than 300 matches per season from the Bundesliga, in both English and Spanish languages. In addition, the long-term agreement includes live coverage of the season-kickoff DFL Supercup, rights to Bundesliga 2 matches and on-demand surround programming such as highlights and magazine shows.
ESPN linear television networks will also feature select Bundesliga matches each season and highlights will be available in ESPN programmes and on the ESPN App and ESPN.com.
Russell Wolf Executive Vice President and General Manager, ESPN+, commented: “With a strong connection to the American soccer community, a growing audience in the U.S. and some of the most well-known clubs and players in the world, the addition of the Bundesliga further cements ESPN+ as a must-have for any soccer fan.”
Bundesliga International CEO, Robert Klein, added: “It was clear from the start that ESPN and ESPN+ shared our ambitious vision. As innovators in the sports industry, we’re both driven to deliver highly engaging content for fans. They will help us build on the strong connections the Bundesliga has with the U.S. having welcomed more American players than any other European league. They’re attracted by the authentic, entertaining soccer we describe as ‘Football As It’s Meant To Be’, played in front of the largest spectator numbers in the sport and epitomised by the highest goals per game average of all top European leagues. Germany will continue to be an important source of talent for future US national teams and with ESPN we’re incredibly excited to take fans on their journey in the lead up to their home World Cup in 2026.”
The Bundesliga joins an extensive lineup of soccer on ESPN+ that features over 2,000 top football matches per year from around the world, including exclusive coverage in the US of Italy’s Serie A, the UEFA Nations League, England’s FA Cup and EFL, MLS, the Dutch Eredivisie and more.
Meanwhile, all 22 matches of the West African Football Union (WAFU) Cup of Nations from the Stade Lat Dior in Thies, Senegal, will also be available exclusively on ESPN+ in the US. Beginning September 28th, the 16-team tournament will feature sides from WAFU’s Zone A and Zone B national associations, as well as the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.