The Bundesliga will expand its digital channels and launch Spanish-language versions for the ’17-18 season. DFL Digital Sports Managing Director Andreas Heyden said the league will launch a website, app and social media channels in Spanish with the start of the new season. This latest addition continues the league’s push to engage its global fan base. “How do we turn people who have an interest in football into Bundesliga fans? The answer is content,” Heyden said during his presentation at SpoBiS in Dusseldorf on Tuesday. The Bundesliga currently operates German, English and Japanese versions of its website. The Spanish-language offerings target the more than 150 million football fans in Latin America, Heyden said. The Americas as a whole represent 37% of the Bundesliga.com’s int’l reach. The league’s top int’l markets are North America, China -- where it is on Sina Weibo, WeChat and Youku -- and South America. To reach the sports and football fans in Latin and South America, Heyden said, the DFL’s digital team tries to use a different approach than on the domestic market.
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Andreas Heyden
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“We try to be maybe a little bit more humorous in our int’l communication,” he said. “Maybe even making a little fun of ourselves, or taking bold approaches.” The Bundesliga also received a boost in the Latin American market from its broadcast rights deal with Fox. The agreement, which took effect last summer, has led to a 205% increase in Latin American users since Aug. 1. Over the same time period, the league also experienced a 300% growth in Spanish browser language. The Bundesliga’s digital team works with local content partners to create time-zone specific matchday coverage. It also tries to engage potential fans with social activities and games, in addition to the match data. Heyden also noted the huge potential of the Latin American market as broadband penetration in the region is only around 40%.
