STN will provide several services to the Austrian league, including the preparation of a formal tender process. (Severin Aichbauer/SEPA.Media /Getty Images)

Austrian soccer’s top-tier Bundesliga (ÖFBL) has hired SN1, the Munich-based boutique media rights consultancy, to advise on its rights strategies for the 2026-27 season onward.

The consulting firm has been tasked with providing the following services to the Austrian league – analysis and evaluation of key commercial growth factors; preparation of a formal tender process; and assessment of direct-to-consumer opportunities “in conjunction with strategic partnerships capable of providing commercial leverage.”

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These will cover both domestic and international media rights tenders for the next cycle.

The league has said that this appointment comes as it looks to “further exploit new market development opportunities” beyond the current media rights cycle, which ends after the 2025-26 season. SN1, the ÖFBL has explained, will look at the opportunities to “generate a fit-for-future consumer-centric offering, maximizing reach and driving revenue growth.”

Domestically, the 12-team league is covered live by the Sky Osterreich dominant pay-television broadcaster, in a deal that came into effect in 2022. Highlights are provided by ORF, the Austrian public-service broadcaster.

The Sky deal has a total (reported) value of €160 million ($177.3 million) over four seasons.

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Christian Ebenbauer, ÖFBL chief executive, said: “We believe in a broad range of opportunities for the further development of our leagues, in a media world empowered by the urge to innovate and driven by serving specific consumer needs and requests. The time has come to embrace the opportunities technology and the capital market offer.”

Sascha Kojic, founder and CEO at SN1, added: “Many sports governing bodies are exploring various opportunities to adopt a more consumer-focused monetization approach. However, few have the potential that we see in ÖFBL, especially within a robust and dynamic domestic media market featuring top-tier existing and emerging broadcast outlets.”

The 2024-25 Austrian Bundesliga began on August 2 and comes to an end on May 25.

In terms of SN1’s other primary advisory rights tie-ups, the agency has a lengthy deal in place with the Volleyball World commercial entity, running until 2032.

It also has tie-ups with properties such as the European Handball Federation and Ski Austria.