The NFL and German media corporation ProSiebenSat.1 have extended and increased their broadcast rights deal in Germany. The corporation will show 50 live games on its free-to-air TV channels ProSieben Maxx (43 games) and Sat.1 (7 games) during the upcoming NFL season. The games will also be available free-of-charge via livestream on ran.de. During the regular season ProSieben Maxx will air two games every Sunday at 7pm and 10pm, respectively, starting this September. In the playoffs, Sat.1 and ProSieben Maxx will split the coverage. The NFL and ProSiebenSat.1 agreed to a three-year deal, which also includes mobile rights. ProSieben Maxx will also show two of the three NFL Int'l Series games from London's Wembley Stadium and the NFL Pro Bowl. Sat.1 will present its fifth consecutive Super Bowl -- 10th total -- when it shows Super Bowl 50 from Levi's Stadium during the night from Feb. 7-8 (ProSiebenSat.1).
ACCORDING TO PLAN: Increasing its free-to-air TV coverage in Germany was a top priority for league. NFL Int'l Exec VP Mark Waller told SBD Global in April, "We’ve had TV partners who are willing to take postseason games and the Super Bowl, but we’ve had very limited success in getting season-long distribution, particularly on free-to-air." Waller back then admitted that he had no idea of how to solve this problem, but he was confident the league would find a solution in the next couple of months. Last season, Sat.1 showed only a select number of postseason games and Super Bowl XLIX. The majority of NFL games aired on German subscription-based TV channel Sport1 US, which showed up to seven games per week. The NFL hopes to increase its German fan base through the new rights deal, with Waller previously stating, "The important thing for us is if we are going to grow we need products that are much more accessible for people who are just starting to be fans and coming into the game." The league also has plans to stage a regular-season game in Germany in the next three years (HJ Mai, SBD Global).
