Network4, the Hungarian pay-television broadcaster, has today (October 23) announced an early extension of its rights deal for German soccer’s top-tier Bundesliga for another four seasons through 2028-2029.
The existing four-year contract between Network4 and Bundesliga International, the global commercial rights division of the league, was not due to expire until the end of 2024-25.
The broadcaster retains exclusive rights to more than 300 Bundesliga and second-tier Bundesliga 2 matches per season, with rights to air games in both Hungarian and English.
The deal also includes the rights to the German Super Cup, the season opener between the league and DFB Cup winners, as well as the relegation play-off matches.
The Bundesliga will continue to be shown on Net4+, Network4’s over-the-top (OTT) platform, with all fixtures available from every matchday. In addition, four to five matches per week will be shown on the Arena4 linear sports channel and its Match4 sister channel.
Network4 will continue to provide the ‘Interactive Feed’ to its OTT customers having become the first broadcaster in Europe to introduce it, as well as offering the Bundesliga’s ‘Goal Arena’ TV product to viewers in Hungary.
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By GlobalDataBundesliga International said the early renewal “comes as a result of a mutually beneficial partnership that has resulted in not only strong coverage from live matches but has been demonstrated in the amount of localized shoulder programming that accompanies each matchday.”
Network4 acquired Bundesliga rights at the start of the 2021-22 campaign, replacing previous rightsholder SportTV, the Eastern European pay-TV network.
The Bundesliga features multiple Hungarian internationals such as RB Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, Hoffenheim defender Attila Szalai, and Freiburg striker Roland Sallai (pictured).
Peer Naubert, Bundesliga International's chief marketing officer, said: “Innovation has long been the hallmark of the Bundesliga. We are always looking for new ways to update and evolve our products based on the wants and needs of the fans around the world, and the Bundesliga’s Interactive Feed and Goal Arena are two more great examples of this.
“In Network4, we have a fantastic partner that shares this vision, and a relationship built on mutual trust that is dedicated to offering the best possible experience for Hungarian fans. This long-term extension is another clear signal of the quality of the Bundesliga product and yet further reinforcement of our growth trajectory.”
Andras Borsány-Gyenes, chairman of the Network4 board, added: “When we first partnered with Bundesliga International, our goal was to take the Bundesliga broadcast experience to the next level. I am happy to say that Arena4 and Net4+, together with Bundesliga International, wrote history by showing almost all the Bundesliga matches live in Hungary, which is both unprecedented and a massive technical feat in itself.
“Such advances in broadcast technology as the Interactive Feed and Goal Arena took the Bundesliga experience one step forward, providing sophisticated OTT experience for the Hungarian viewers.”
The Bundesliga has international broadcast deals in place in almost every major market for at least the next three seasons.
In recent months, new and extended deals were agreed with BeIN Sports (Asia-Pacific), Next Media (Vietnam), Abema (Japan), Sony Pictures Networks (India), Canal Plus and New World TV (Sub-Saharan Africa), DAZN (Canada), and OneFootball, Canal Goat, and CazéTV (Brazil).
