ARD and ZDF, Germany's two prominent public service broadcasters, have acquired domestic rights to the 2028 UEFA European Championship national teams competition.
The agreement was struck by SportA, the joint sports rights agency of ARD and ZDF.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The deal covers media rights to all 51 matches at Euro 2028 (which will take place in the UK and Ireland), including all Germany matches, should the country qualify for the competition as expected.
The rights were awarded to the broadcasters following a tender process and the agreement will see the duo share rights once again, as they typically do in Germany for major international soccer tournaments.
ARD and ZDF were also the main free-to-air broadcasters for Euro 2024 which took place on home soil. Rights for last year’s tournament were also held by Deutsche Telekom and commercial broadcaster RTL.
The public service broadcasters already hold domestic rights to all German national team matches through 2028 under a deal struck in 2023.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataThese include matches in the UEFA Nations League as well as preparation and qualifying matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (in Mexico, the US, and Canada) and for Euro 2028.
During the previous rights cycle, ARD and ZDF split rights to German fixtures outside the major tournaments with RTL.
In terms of other European media rights deals for Euro 2028, Duo Media Networks secured an exclusive deal in Estonia earlier this month, while agreements in France (BeIN Sports) and the Netherlands (NOS) were announced in mid-2024.
Rights to the next three FIFA World Cups – two men's and one women’s – are also currently on the market in Germany after the international governing body recently launched a tender process in the country.
The FIFA tenders cover the 2026 and 2030 men's World Cups, and the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The deadline for submission of bids across both tenders is February 13 at 10 am Central European Time.
Despite ARD and ZDF showing the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar, and many previous editions of soccer’s showpiece tournament, ZDF director-general Norbert Himmler stated that the broadcasters will not be able to acquire full 2026 and 2030 live rights on their own.
He told German media that because of the substantial increase in games (and the subsequent increase in the fees FIFA will be hoping to extract) in the upcoming tournaments, as opposed to the Qatar World Cup, they will only be able to do it “with other partners in Germany.”
The previous Women's World Cup (Australia and New Zealand in 2023), meanwhile, was also shown live by ARD and ZDF.
