SPORT1 to air XFL football league in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

SPORT1 has acquired exclusive rights package for the next two seasons of XFL, the new US-based, American football league that kicks off in February.

SPORT1, the multichannel sports platform for the German-speaking region in Europe, will show the XFL from February 18 live and in highlights on free-TV and on pay-TV channel SPORT1+ as well as its digital and social media channels.

Based in Ismaning, near Munich, Germany, SPORT1’s parent company Sport1 Medien AG has a portfolio that includes the free-TV channel SPORT1 as well as the pay-TV channels SPORT1+ and eSPORTS1, which are available on various platforms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Sport1 Medien AG chief executive and chair of the management board of Sport1 GmbH Olaf Schröder said: “Enthusiasm for American Football has grown enormously in German-speaking countries in recent years – with the first NFL game in Munich as the temporary high point of the euphoria surrounding what is now one of the most-watched sports over here.

“With the XFL, we’re offering an even greater variety of sports on our platform, strengthening our US sports programming and underscoring our ambition to go on the offensive as a first mover, especially in such new and innovative topics.”

The XFL will start its season one week after the Super Bowl. The rights package includes a total of 43 games – on each of the ten gamedays, two games each are scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays, after the regular season followed by the XFL Playoffs on April 29 and 30 and the XFL Championship on May 13. SPORT1 will show the opening season live and in highlights on every gameday on free-TV and on SPORT1+ as well as on SPORT1.de, the SPORT1 apps and its social media channels.

A minimum of up to 10 games per season are scheduled to air on free-TV channel SPORT1. The XFL –will be broadcast in the US on ABC, ESPN and FX as part of a partnership with The Walt Disney Company and ESPN.

XFL SVP broadcast operations Jay Rothman added: “We have been working for months to develop a live event broadcast that allows our fans to immerse themselves in the action and on-screen talent is absolutely critical to bring the energy and excitement from the field through the screens of our fans.

“We’re thrilled with the team and behind-the-scenes crew that has been assembled and we’re looking forward to kickoff in less than a month.”

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