Sky, ARD, ZDF Secure Handball Bundesliga Broadcast Rights Starting Next Season

The games and highlights of the Handball Bundesliga (HBL) "will be shown by Sky Deutschland, ARD and ZDF from the next season," according to Jörn Krieger of BROADBAND TV NEWS. The rights package of which financial details "have not been disclosed also comprises the second-division league, the DHB Cup including the Final Four, the Supercup and the All Star Game." In addition to regular live transmissions by pay-TV broadcaster Sky, ARD will show up to 12 live games per season including the DHB Cup final on its main channel Das Erste and its regional channels on free-to-air TV. All channels and ZDF "will also regularly screen highlights as part of their news and sports programmes" (BROADBAND TV NEWS, 11/21). SPONSORs' Henning Eberhardt reported the deal between Sky and the HBL "will run for six years." The league "currently airs on German free-to-air TV channel Sport1, which airs around 50 games per season" (SPONSORs, 11/21).