RTL Deutschland Secures Two Top Rights Packages For Football Bundesliga
In the 2025/26 season, RTL Deutschland will exclusively show the Saturday evening matches of the 2nd Bundesliga on free-TV as well as the highlights of the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga matches, the relegation, and the Supercup on the RTL+ streaming service. RTL Deutschland acquired a corresponding rights package yesterday at the auction by the German Football League (DFL).
Tradition, passion, and sporting excitement: the weekly top match of Europe’s most attractive second league is getting a new TV home. RTL Deutschland secured the exclusive free-TV broadcasts of the Saturday evening matches of the 2nd Bundesliga at yesterday’s auction of the DFL rights. One of the most coveted sports rights will thus move to Cologne from the 2025/26 season. The package comprises a total of four seasons and 33 matches per season, which will be shown live on RTL or Nitro on free-TV and simultaneously on RTL+. RTL Deutschland has also secured the most attractive highlights rights package for RTL+, which will allow fans to enjoy all of the highlights from 617 matches in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga, relegations, and the Supercup – up to 15 minutes per match directly after the final whistle.
“Live sport in a class of its own”
“With the top match of the 2nd league, in which traditional clubs with an enormously loyal fan base play, we will be offering even more top-class live sport on RTL, Nitro and RTL+ from the coming season,” says Inga Leschek, Chief Content Officer at RTL Deutschland. “This attractive right gives us the greatest possible flexibility across all our broadcasting channels. The highlight rights enable us to make the first and fastest sports show of the match day – all the goals, all the emotions directly after the final whistle. Snackable, in various lengths, mobile and available anywhere and at any time. An individual and modern football offer for all fans. Our goal is to further strengthen the fast-growing streaming service RTL+ and to generate sustainable profits from 2026 – the Bundesliga rights are an important building block in our plans.”
With the acquisition of the Bundesliga rights, RTL Deutschland is expanding its top-notch football portfolio related to the matches of the German national team, the UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League, as well as the Live Conference of the 2nd Bundesliga and a top match of the English Premier League in cooperation with Sky.
