Bundesliga International, the global commercial rights division of the German men’s soccer league structure, has today (March 30) unveiled a partnership across the Middle East and Africa with soccer content producer Footballco.

Through this collaborative tie-up, the two bodies will work together to “bring the biggest storylines from Germany’s top two divisions to fans.”

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Footballco owns, operates, and represents digital soccer media networks spread across the Middle East and Africa such as Kooora and Goal.

Working with German soccer's DFL, Footballco now has access to the Bundesliga media database, with its subsidiary outlets able to use videos, photos, and graphics material to produce their own content.

Footballco will work alongside the Bundesliga’s current live media rights partners in the Middle East and African markets, which include StarTimes, BeIN Sports, Canal Plus, and AzamTV.

Peer Naubert, chief marketing officer at Bundesliga International, said: “Footballco are one of the strongest media partners in the world when it comes to digital football properties, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, and throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

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“Alongside our broadcast partners and in conjunction with our fan-focused strategy, it is a very exciting time to add another option of bringing the best of the Bundesliga to supporters throughout the Middle East and Africa.”

The Bundesliga currently contains a number of high-profile players from the Middle East and Africa, including Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, and Noussair Mazraoui, as well as Amadou Haidara from RB Leipzig.

Andy Jackson, Footballco’s vice president of global football partnerships, added: “As the biggest producer of Arabic language football content, we are in a unique position to help rights holders like the Bundesliga reach, engage, and convert new fans … while our portfolio stretches across Africa and will provide a number of established platforms that can tell the stories from around the league each week in their own inimitable way.”

In late January, Bundesliga International announced a content deal in India with the digital media site Khel Now.

That platform is now providing localized content from the 36 teams in the top two German leagues that will sit alongside articles, videos, pictures, and social media posts in multiple languages.

Footballco, meanwhile, last year entered into a strategic partnership with US digital network Overtime to provide brands and agencies in the US access to soccer fans around the world.

Owned by private equity firm TPG, Footballco claims a presence across Europe, the Middle East, and North America in particular, with an overall monthly reach of 640 million.

Image: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images