Volleyball World, the commercial arm of the sport’s FIVB governing body, has struck a new media rights deal in Germany, with public-service broadcaster ZDF.
Through an agreement unveiled yesterday, ZDF will cover all games played by the German men's and women's national teams in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) competition, starting this year – the men's 2026 VNL, comprising 18 teams, is running between June 11 and August 3, across 10 cities.
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Games will be made available across both linear free-to-air and digital platforms (such as ZDF's Mediathek offering).
Germany's men's team currently lie 13th in the 18-team table, having won two and lost three of their five matches so far.
This tie-up follows on from Volleyball World very recently extending its agreement in a range of European markets – including Germany – with the SN1 Sports Munich-based consultancy, until 2032.
That consultancy will continue as Volleyball World's exclusive sales advisor for media rights distribution in Germany for the next six years – indeed, it was heavily involved in this new deal with ZDF.
Felix von Knorring, Volleyball World's head of media, commented: "Partnering with ZDF means our competitions will be able to reach more fans across Germany than ever before, while giving fans unprecedented free access to elite international volleyball. This is a critical step towards increasing the visibility of volleyball across Germany.”
In terms of recent Volleyball World activity, mid-May saw a four-year rights extension with Japanese commercial broadcaster Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS) announced.
TBS becomes the exclusive Japanese broadcaster of the indoor VNL, and of the FIVB Volleyball World Cup, across linear and digital streaming platforms.
Sascha Kojic, SN1 Sports' chief executive, added: "It was crucial for us to find Volleyball World a truly strategic partner in Germany, and ZDF is exactly that. Their comprehensive digital coverage is just as important as free-to-air, with Mediathek already proving its outstanding reach and engagement during major sporting events. This partnership ensures volleyball is positioned strategically for long-term growth.”
In mid-April, ZDF announced a rights deal covering the 2027 and 2028 editions of men's road cycling's iconic Tour de France – marking the first time in 15 years it will have shown that event.
In terms of the domestic coverage of top-tier German volleyball, both the top men's and women's leagues in that country are currently shown to a home audience by the Dyn Media streaming platform.
