SABC signs broadcasting rights deal with Bundesliga

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and Bundesliga International have signed a two-year broadcasting rights deal.

The Free-to-Air broadcasting rights is for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons of the German Football League.

The package includes one live match broadcast per match week, as well as the Bundesliga weekly preview show and the Bundesliga highlights show.

“Leading up to each match weekend, SABC Sport will showcase the “Bundesliga weekly preview” show, Thursdays on SABC 3 at 20h30 starting on the 17th of September 2020. This will be an hour packed show that will bring the viewers closer to latest news from the league, team updates and looking at the upcoming fixtures. Monday nights are billed as catchup nights of the Bundesliga, with the “Highlights show” reviewing all the goals, post-match interviews and talking points from the weekend matches, on SABC 3 at 22h30,” read a statement by the SABC.

As Germany’s elite football competition, the Bundesliga is home to the current UEFA Champions League champions, FC Bayern Munich.

It also showcases world-class football talent such as Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski and Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.

SABC Sport General Manager, Gary Rathbone, says, “There has been a significant amount of effort that has gone into making this deal happen, and we, as the SABC, are delighted to partner with the DFL in bringing football from one of the world’s best leagues to viewers across the country.”

“The Bundesliga is an attractive football proposition, which brings some of the game’s most iconic football rivalries, a League displaying exquisite technique and an abundance of passion, from one of the world’s great football nations. With this acquisition, SABC Sport is well on its way to delivering a diversified sport offering to South African sports fans. We understand the different needs of our audiences and commercial partners, and aims to bring more great sports content into their homes and onto their digital devices, ” adds Rathbone.

SABC will also provide extensive coverage of the Bundesliga via its far-reaching radio platforms in the form of updates and match reports.