German public broadcaster ZDF "has extended its Champions League broadcast rights for Germany until 2018," according to Manuel Weis of QUOTENMETER. For German TV viewers it means "everything stays the same after pay-TV network Sky revealed on Monday it also extended its Champions League rights until '18." ZDF "will air 18 games per season." The package "includes one live broadcast per match week in the group stage and knockout phase, the final, Super Cup and playoff games of German teams." ZDF General Administrator Thomas Bellut said, "Attractive football broadcasts are an important part of our sports coverage and an essential factor for viewer acceptance -- also for younger viewers. UEFA particulary honored the high quality and extraordinary viewing numbers of ZDF's previous Champions League broadcasts." The public broadcaster did not reveal any financial details of the extension (QUOTENMETER, 12/12).
HANDBALL EURO: QUOTENMETER's Weis also reported German sports network Sport1 "has acquired exclusive TV rights for the 2014 European Men's Handball Championship." Sport1 "will show a minimum of 22 games from the event, which takes place in Denmark between Jan. 12-26, including both semifinals and the final." The network "reached a corresponding agreement with sports marketing agency Infront Sports & Media." In Germany, handball world and European championships "usually air on public broadcasters ARD and ZDF." However, the German national team "failed to qualify for the '14 event and therefore the interest in the rights from ARD and ZDF seemed very small" (QUOTENEMETER, 12/12).
