As the national side lifted the men’s World Cup, the future of its domestic league was being ironed out with the announcement of a streaming deal for the Bundesliga, while women’s hockey is also set to be given a lift with the launch of a dedicated sport channel in Germany this summer.
Streaming platform Dyn secured the rights to show Germany’s top league from 2023/34, with the sports providers set to launch this summer.
It inked a deal to show over 200 men’s and women’s games and includes the season-ending finals, with the provider believing it was on to a winner given the production values as well as indoor and outdoor success on the global stage.
Marcel Wontorra, COO of Dyn Media, said: “The quality of sports in hockey is very high in Germany. This is shown by the success of the men’s national team at the World Cup in India. 17 of the 20 new world champions come from the Bundesliga. The women’s title at the European Indoor Championships in December last year also confirms this.”
Victor vom Kolke, managing director of the Hockey Bundesliga, said that gender parity had also been a key factor in the deal.
He said: “Hockey has always been a pioneer when it comes to men and women meeting on an equal footing. We are convinced that the merger of the media rights will enhance the relevance of our sport and are proud that Dyn has bundled both field hockey leagues in its offer from the beginning.”
Dyn media has signed sports rights deals with handball and volleyball – two bigger sports in Germany – while hockey’s inking seems to be a good one for the sport.
Elsewhere in the TV hockey market, the sport may be given a significant boost in the women’s game this summer following the news that another sports streaming service, DAZN, is launching a dedicated women’s sport platform.
Called FAST, the free ad-supported service is launching this week and will be the first independent channel for women’s sport across Germany and Austria.
DAZN currently broadcasts the Germany national side and streamed the men’s World Cup final in Bhubaneswar.
