Bundesliga Returns to Premiere

MUNICH, July 19: The German Cartel Office has cleared pay-TV
platform Premiere’s deal to sub-license Bundesliga German soccer matches from
Unity Media.

The authority says that
Premiere can air the games for the next two seasons. It is said to have okayed
the deal because of concerns about the sustainability of Arena, the sports
channel set up by Unity Media to air the games. Arena
has struggled to secure cable distribution and is still not available on Kabel
Deutschland, the leading cable platform in Germany with some 9.5 million
subscribers in 13 states. The Bundesliga rights, meanwhile, are costing the
company about $300 million per season.

In 2005, Premiere lost out on
the bidding for the Bundesliga rights, sending its stock price plummeting.