The DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga has once again surpassed the billion-euro mark in the award of German-language media rights, thus continuing the revenue level of previous years. For the 2021/22 to 2024/25 seasons, the clubs can expect revenues averaging EUR 1.1 billion. This corresponds to total revenues of EUR 4.4 billion.
The DFL’s media partners will also have considered the limited exclusivities of territorial pay TV licenses this time as part of tender process.
Thus, on October 4, 2011, the ECJ had ruled in verb. Cases C429/08 and C403/08 in the context of preliminary ruling proceedings pursuant to Art. 267 TFEU on the interpretation of the freedom to provide services (Art. 56 TFEU) and the protection of competition (Art. 101 TFEU) in the case of territorially exclusive soccer broadcasts, as well as on provisions of the Access Control Directive (98/84/EC). At the time, the ruling caused a great deal of unrest in the circles concerned and led to far-reaching speculation.
Attorney Dr. Ranke, together with his co-author Prof. Dr. Alexander Roßnagel, describes the dispute over the permissible reception of soccer broadcasts by satellite broadcast, presents the main findings and considerations of the ECJ, and examines possible effects of the ruling on other exploitation channels such as cable, terrestrial or (mobile) Internet as well as other forms of exploitation such as free TV. For more information, read MMR 2012, 152 et seq.