The heavyweight Sky Italia pay-TV broadcaster has extended its rights deal covering German men's soccer's top-tier Bundesliga, through 2028-29.
A deal unveiled today means Sky Italia will maintain its status as the Bundesliga's exclusive TV partner in that market for the next four seasons – with the tie-up getting underway with the German Supercup season-opening fixture on August 16. The agreement has been struck with the Bundesliga International arm.
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Altogether, the tie-up extends across the 18-team Bundesliga, the second-tier Bundesliga 2, the Supercup, and the end-of-season Bundesliga relegation playoffs.
The previous deal between the two parties was also a four-season agreement, and began in 2021.
In addition to its live Bundesliga coverage, Sky Italia will also produce highlights and magazine-style shows.
There are currently only three Italian players contracted to Bundesliga clubs, with SC Freiburg's Vincenzo Grifo arguably having the highest profile of these.
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By GlobalDataPeer Naubert, chief executive officer at Bundesliga International, has said: "Our connection with Sky Italia has run for more than 20 years, and this long-standing relationship, characterised by mutual respect and trust, has allowed us to evolve with the ever-changing market."
In terms of recent Bundesliga media rights deals, mid-June saw the league extend its collaboration with PPTV, the free-to-air channel in Thailand.
The deal was struck between PPTV owner Bangkok Media, Broadcasting Corporation, and Bundesliga International, and will see two Bundesliga matches per matchday, highlights, and magazine shows aired on the PPTV HD36 channel for the upcoming season.
Overall, PPTV will broadcast 68 matches during the season.
The new Bundesliga season will begin on August 22, with defending champions Bayern Munich taking on RB Leipzig.
Domestically, it will be covered live by Sky Deutschland and DAZN.
Sky Italia, meanwhile, announced the formation of a new organizational structure that will encompass its sports broadcast operations, alongside news and entertainment content, late last month.
The pay-TV heavyweight also covers three games per matchday from the Italian top-tier Serie A, through 2028-29.
