European Championships, Supercup, most recently the DFB Cup – it doesn’t feel like there was a long break in football in the summer, but things really get going on Friday with the start of the Bundesliga. Only: where? If you want to see moving pictures on TV or the Internet, you need a program guide for the new season as well. And money. Watching the Bundesliga on TV (or on a laptop) has become even more expensive. And remains, especially after the appearance of the women’s national team at the European Championship, apparently still a bit old-fashioned, annoying when you look at an unsuccessful ARD advertisement for the “Sportschau”.
The ball broadcaster is allowed to show a few games on free TV, this season without live broadcasts on match days 17 and 18 due to the World Cup in Qatar in November and December. Sat1 will broadcast a game from matchday 15 live on November 11th and a game from matchday 16 on January 20th. The work calendar of Matthias Opdenhövel (moderator) and Wolff Fuss (reporter) also includes the Supercup, four relegation games and the opening game of the second Bundesliga.
There are also no extra fees for the public broadcasters. In addition to the “Sportschau” on Saturday with summaries of the afternoon games and the Friday game, the first on Sunday evening in the “Daily Topics” (and in the third programs) brings summaries of the Sunday games.
ZDF summarizes the matches from the afternoon and the top game at 6:30 p.m. in the “Aktuelle Sportstudio” on Saturday evening, as well as on Sport1 on Sunday morning. On Mondays from midnight there are highlights on the Internet: via ARD, ZDF and Sport1.
It gets more exclusive on pay TV. Sky shows most of the first division games. 200 games are played on Saturdays, the 3.30pm and 6.30pm games, plus the English weeks fixtures and the Saturday afternoon conference.
Dazn broadcasts 106 first division games live. The fee-based Internet provider shows the game on Friday evening and the two matches on Sunday afternoon. Dazn is allowed to show games on Sundays at 7:30 p.m. ten times per season.
There lies the fan hook. Dazn is now almost twice as expensive as it was a year ago. The cost of a monthly subscription has increased from 14.99 to 29.99 euros. The cheapest subscription is 24.99 euros per month (contract for one year). Sky advertises an offer that costs 20 euros per month for new customers in the first year, then 32 euros for an annual subscription. This package includes the first and second leagues (not the DFB Cup and the Premier League).
After all, there has recently been a Sky-Dazn combo subscription. This costs 38.99 euros/month in the first year, then 61.99. Euro. This includes not only all games in the first and second divisions but also games in the Champions League.
Speaking of advertising. The “Sportschau” will still have the most viewers, up to six million, not only because of these pay-TV costs. Hopefully the presentation of the ARD classic will be fresher than the poster advertising: “Your daughter’s pony party on Wednesday with you as a pony. Look forward to Saturday!”. This is how you make shitstorms. There should be girls and women who are also interested in football. And boys for ponies.
