EPL Deal Could Lead To Bundesliga Revolution

In the battle for TV rights, Bundesliga bosses say German football will have to look at new kick-off times in order to compete with the English Premier League – at the risk of alienating fans.
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The Premier League’s new multi-billion pound television rights deal is causing concern in German football that the Bundesliga’s leading teams will no longer be able to compete against their English rivals.
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Bundesliga chief executive Christian Seifert says the league may now have to consider “unpopular options” if it is to improve marketing opportunities.
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This could include changing kick-off times and spreading the weekend league programme to cover a Monday evening kick-off.
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Bayer Leverkusen sports chief Rudi Voeller is just one club manager who believes a change in fixture times could help attract more television income.
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“I could imagine that Monday evening is a possibility,” he was quoted as saying in Friday’s Bild newspaper.
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“The time is attractive and would be good for TV, but in principle Saturday should be our main match day.”
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The new Premier League agreement is worth 5.14 billion pounds (6.9 billion euros / 7.9 billion dollars) for three seasons from 2016 to 2019, with broadcast rights shared between British broadcasters Sky and BT Sport.
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Bundesliga clubs in comparison will receive 835 million euros for the 2016-2017 season when the current four-year deal worth 2.51 billion euros then expires.
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So far German football – which has much cheaper ticket prices than the Premier League and has the world’s highest match attendances – has been against staggering the fixture programme.
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Six of the top-flight matches are played on a Saturday with five starting at the traditional 3.30 pm kick-off time, and one game played at 6.30 pm. Two matches (occasionally three) are played Sunday and one is on Friday evening.
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Amateur clubs, backed by the German Football Federation (DFB), had originally opposed the Sunday afternoon kick-off, which was introduced from the 2009-2010 season.
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“There should be no more taboo issues,” Wolfsburg general manager Klaus Allofs said.
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“Until now we have always managed the balancing act of fulfilling the wishes (of TV) but keeping the match programme compact. But there should also be compromise.”
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Borussia Moenchengladbach sport director Max Eberl said the league would have to consider “breaking with tradition” in order to stay competitive.
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“We can’t stay fixed on our beloved 3.30 pm (kick-off) but have to make concessions, otherwise the gap to England is going to get bigger,” he said.
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The new Premier League deal has raised the spectre for Borussia Dortmund general Michael Zorc of a midtable English side like Stoke City leaving even Germany’s European powerhouse Bayern Munich trailing.
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Bild says the situation is in fact “far worse” – relegated Premier League side Cardiff City last season earned 34.6 million euros more than German champions Bayern. Bundesliga bosses are now demanding a “a match time revolution,” the paper said.
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Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Bild: “It’s said that ‘money scores goals’ – one has to fear that from 2016 the English will score even more goals.