Bundesliga and Sky Mexico seal four-year deal extension

Sky Mexico, the Televisa-owned pay-television broadcaster, has struck a four-season extension to its domestic rights deal with German soccer’s top-tier Bundesliga, running through the 2025-26 campaign.

The deal, which also covers multiple territories in Central America, has been struck by Sky Mexico and Bundesliga International, the division of the league which handles its overseas rights deals, and begins at the start of the 2022-23 campaign in early August.

It gives Sky Mexico exclusive rights to all matches from the Bundesliga, second-tier 2.Bundesliga, the German Supercup annual match, and the Bundesliga’s relegation playoff games, in the following countries: Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama. Non-exclusive rights in the Dominican Republic are also included.

The current deal between Sky Mexico and Bundesliga International was struck in September 2020 and was set to run out at the end of the concluding 2021-22 campaign. The deal cycles in that market currently differ from those in most other nations - the vast majority of multi-year Bundesliga deals in the current cycle began in 2021.

Other live broadcasting rights in recent seasons have been snapped up by Claro Sports, TV Azteca, and Fox Sports. 

Aside from the coverage, the deal also includes the implementation of “a compelling distribution strategy that utilizes both Sky Mexico’s well-established channels and new platforms”, according to a joint announcement.

Both parties will also “explore opportunities to further increase reach and awareness of the Bundesliga in the market.”

Mexico is, the Bundesliga has claimed, its third-biggest market in terms of “reach on its owned and operated content channels.”

In terms of other coverage deals in the Central American markets mentioned above (alongside Mexico), Bundesliga International has said it will “expand its network of content partners and cross-digital platforms” in these territories, to “deliver localized highlights, news and information” on the league.

Robert Klein, chief executive of Bundesliga International, said: “Sky Mexico is one of the most popular pay-TV providers in the region, and we are working closely with them to deliver engaging, localized, and most importantly relevant content to fans … As we extend this partnership, I can only see this relationship getting stronger.”

Juan Carlos Munoz, Sky Mexico’s head of programming, content and production at Sky Mexico, added: “We are more than glad to extend our solid partnership and to reinforce the commitment of high quality, top-level international competitions available for our subscribers.”

This extension comes two weeks after the Bundesliga entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Liga MX, Mexico’s top professional soccer league, and the day after Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen played local team Toluca FC in Mexico.

In terms of other coverage of Bundesliga action in the Americas, meanwhile, sports heavyweight ESPN will show the league across almost all of South America and the US for the next four years. 

Domestic coverage of the league is provided by pay-TV’s Sky Deutschland and by over-the-top subscription service DAZN, with that deal running through 2024-25.