90min

Bundesliga to Lose €150m In Broadcast Revenue for 2020/21 Season

By Ali Rampling

Bundesliga broadcasting rights have been affected by the coronavirus
Bundesliga broadcasting rights have been affected by the coronavirus / Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
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The Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 will lose €150m in broadcast revenue for the 2020/21 season, in part due to EuroSport cancelling its €70m contract with the league.

The top two tiers of German football returned to action on 16 May, following a two month hiatus as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

All games are played behind closed doors, resulting in a drop in matchday income, and despite the Bundesliga being the first top league in Europe to resume, clubs are poised to suffer a loss in broadcast revenue for the following season.

Bayern Munich are currently seven points clear at the Bundesliga summit
Bayern Munich are currently seven points clear at the Bundesliga summit / CHRISTOF STACHE/Getty Images

According to a report in German news outlet Kicker, instead of payments of €1.35bn from the current broadcast deal, Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 will only receive €1.2bn in the 2020/21 season.

The DFL Finance Commission sent out a letter on Friday with the results, with the cut back in payments meaning the league is losing €150m in national broadcasting rights.

€51m has already been distributed among the 36 clubs in the top two divisions, with a further €200m to be paid out when the seasons are completed - subject to the 'payment behaviour of the partners'.

Despite the array of Bundesliga talent, EuroSport pulled the plug on their broadcast deal
Despite the array of Bundesliga talent, EuroSport pulled the plug on their broadcast deal / Pool/Getty Images

Not all the payments for this fourth instalment have been received from DFL partners after EuroSport stopped paying.

Several DFL partners have already failed to meet their payment obligations as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

EuroSport cancelled its partnership with the Bundesliga following the league's coronavirus enforced break, exercising a special termination clause in their contract.

The Bundesliga returned to action in May
The Bundesliga returned to action in May / Lars Baron/Getty Images

The DFL stated that their finances 'could further decrease due to contract terminations'.

The Finance Commission wrote to Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs, asking them to ensure risk and hygiene provisions were in place to enable games to continue to safely be broadcast.

The Bundesliga title race is all but over, with Bayern Munich closing in on their eighth successive crown, having pulled away at the league summit.

Seven points currently separates Hans-Dieter Flick's side from second place Borussia Dortmund.