Television revenue for the 3. Liga climbs to 124 million euros as the German Football Association extends its exclusive broadcast partnership with Deutsche Telekom through the 2030-31 season, while reducing the mandatory number of free-to-air live matches.
The German Football Association announced the outcome of its media rights tender on a Friday, locking in a four-year extension that keeps all 380 matches per season exclusively with MagentaSport and MagentaTV. The agreement spans the 2027-28 through 2030-31 seasons, continuing a partnership that first began in the 2017-18 campaign. The fresh cycle covers every fixture in the division alongside the promotion play-off matches with the Regionalliga, backed by extensive secondary exploitation rights for highlights and near-live clips that will allow faster and more comprehensive distribution. Telekom TV chief Arnim Butzen stated that the extension with the DFB is a strong signal to the market; the 3. Liga remains a central component of our overall football strategy
and added that the league, the clubs and above all the fans will benefit. DFB General Secretary Dr. Holger Blask praised the arrangement, stating that MagentaSport stands for first-class reporting, high innovative strength and a great closeness to the clubs and fans
and noting that this continuity has sustainably strengthened the league’s perception and attractiveness.
Under the terms of the renewed arrangement, the telecommunications enterprise will also broadcast the men’s European Championships in 2028 and 2030, alongside the Frauen-Bundesliga and upcoming women’s tournaments, while treating the 38-matchday schedule of the dritthöchste Spielklasse as a core property. Since streaming transmissions commenced on the platform ahead of the 2017-18 season, television audience figures have multiplied sevenfold according to corporate figures. The Supervisory Board and the Shareholders’ Meeting of the DFB GmbH & Co. KG formally approved the contracts, which encompass a total volume of 124 million euros across the four-year term, marking an upgrade from the prior 104.8 million euro agreement.
Clubs Secure Financial Growth Through Revenue Gains
The media rights auction generated 124 million euros, marking an increase of roughly 20 percent compared to the previous 104.8 million euro contract, after being formally resolved by the supervisory board and shareholder meeting of the DFB GmbH & Co. KG. The division previously brought in 26.2 million euros per season, with 23.6 million flowing directly to eligible clubs, while reserve teams such as those fielded by Hoffenheim and VfB Stuttgart do not receive a share of the television funds. For the 2024-25 period, total TV income including the DFB-Pokal reached 38.022 million euros, representing 11.4 percent of total earnings or 2.237 million euros per club. DFB General Secretary Holger Blask characterized the outcome as the most financially successful media rights tender in the history of the 3. Liga,
emphasizing that it remains vital for the DFB that all games continue to be available live and the league at the same time retains its high visibility in free-TV.
Additional reporting highlights that overall earnings have experienced an upward trajectory, rising by nearly 20 percent to reach more than 30 million euros annually. Television revenues serve as a financial source for the clubs involved in the competition.
Free-to-Air Broadcasting Faces Sublicensing Uncertainty
While pay-TV access remains comprehensive, the volume of matches guaranteed for free-to-air television drops. Under the new tender conditions set by the German Football Association, at least 38 live games must be broadcast on free television, down from the 68 matches shown across ARD’s regional third-party channels in the current cycle. Telekom holds the rights to all 380 fixtures and can distribute the 38 free games directly through its own platforms or via a sublicensing agreement. Arnim Butzen, the telecom group’s TV chief, indicated that the company plans to utilize selected games that we show via MagentaTV or Freemium free of charge for everyone to build audience reach. Discussions with potential broadcast partners, including ARD, RTL, or Sat.1, are expected in the coming weeks.
Within the current operational schedule, MagentaTV maintains a structured program schema without planned alterations. Sunday matchdays commence at 13:15, with subsequent matches scheduled for 16:15 and 19:15 respectively.
Digital Highlights Reach Extended Platform Distribution
Beyond live coverage, the agreement expands digital and social media distribution rights. MagentaTV and MagentaSport will handle near-live clips and match highlights with faster turnaround times. Additional packages were awarded to DAZN for pay-TV highlights, while digital short-form and clip content went to Kicker and the Leagues platform. Meanwhile, ARD secured a separate package to continue airing traditional highlights during the Saturday Sportschau program at 18 o’clock.