Germany

[DE] RTL Buys Bundesliga Audio Internet Rights

IRIS 2001-4:1/27

Peter Strothmann

Institute of European Media Law (EMR), Saarbrücken/Brussels

The RTL group has purchased audio rights to the football Bundesliga (national football league) for its Internet service. Match coverage will be taken from a webpage hosted since February 2000 by Internet Service Provider Altus Analytics AG in accordance with the instructions of the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (German Football Federation - DFB).

The deal was possible because the Kirch group, which owns the rights to motion picture transmissions and exclusive Internet rights to live motion picture coverage, did not acquire Internet rights for audio transmissions.

The rights thus acquired by RTL cover live reporting and the provision of statistics, still pictures and detailed reports on all matches, as well as the transmission of press conferences (audio and video) and live player interviews. Following each round of matches (from the Tuesday after weekend fixtures), it will be possible to access the online archive and view brief video highlights of each game.