DÜSSELDORF (dpa-AFX) - The auction of TV rights for the German Soccer League will begin in mid-April. This was confirmed by the German Football League (DFL) on Wednesday on the fringes of the SportsInnovation Congress in Düsseldorf. The timetable for the tendering process can therefore be implemented as planned. The results of the bidding process are to be approved and published as early as the end of April.

The interested broadcasters and media companies have already received the documents for the Bundesliga rights for the 2025/26 to 2028/29 seasons. In the first week of the auction, the pay-TV packages will be offered, which currently account for significantly more than 80 percent of revenues. The following week will be dedicated to the other packages.

Seven live and eight highlight packages for a total of 617 matches per season are up for sale. In addition to the 1st and 2nd division matches, these include the rights for the Super Cup and the relegation play-offs. The TV rights are by far the most important source of income for the Bundesliga. The league currently generates an average of around 1.1 billion euros per season./mrs/DP/men