The pay TV and streaming platform Sky is once again threatened with a sensitive loss of rights in the sports sector. Handball-Bundesliga GmbH has now taken the next step in awarding its audiovisual media rights for the license area of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Final contract talks are being held with S Nation Media GmbH.
The decision in favor of the new sports streaming platform was made by the executive committee of the Handball-Bundesliga eV at the end of last week with a clear majority – against the previous rights holder Sky, which had to give up its long-standing quasi-monopoly in sports and, among other things, the rights to of the Football Champions League and part of the Bundesliga had lost to competitors like DAZN.
Springer made the most attractive offer
Handball live could soon be available on Springer’s new sports platform
Logos: HBL
According to HBL, S Nation Media, the new platform from Axel Springer SE and Christian Seifert, the former CEO of the German Football League, previously had the most attractive offer to acquire the audiovisual media rights for the seasons 2023/24 up to and including 2028/29 for the license area Germany , Austria and Switzerland at the Handball-Bundesliga GmbH.
The rights package advertised includes all 306 season games in the Liqui-Moly Handball Bundesliga, a total of 306 matches in the 2nd Handball Bundesliga, the Pixum Super Cup and the entire DHB Cup competition, including the “REWE Final4 Tournament”.
According to the HBL GmbH, with the decision to enter into final talks with S Nation Media, a phase in which they had thoroughly and conscientiously examined and weighed up all the offers submitted with the close involvement of the HBL Executive Committee. According to HBL, this was preceded by a “transparent, non-discriminatory tendering process”, which HBL GmbH had started with a “Request for Proposal”, an invitation to submit an offer. The aim of both parties is to agree on a long-term cooperation up to and including the 2028/29 season.
S Nation Media has already grabbed other federal leagues
In May, S Nation Media managed a first coup against its competitors after the company had acquired the rights to the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) from the 2023/24 season and outperformed the previous rights holder Telekom. The table tennis national league (TTBL) and the volleyball national league (VBL) for men will also be visible on the new platform.
The new streaming service only failed in ice hockey: the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) had extended its TV contract with Telekom early on. Football isn’t supposed to be part of S Nation Media’s portfolio – at least for now.
It is not yet clear when the new sports streaming platform will start and under what name.
Telekom is launching a new option: Sky, DAZN and Magenta Sport in one.
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