The Bundesliga Pass direct-to-consumer (DTC) service, which debuted in India in August, will expand its reach to Vietnam and South Africa. The service initially launched in Vietnam last week, with South African fans to gain access beginning in January 2025.
Through Bundesliga Pass, fans in the two countries will be able to watch every game from German soccer’s top two tiers live through OneFootball’s pay-per-view (PPV) and season pass models.
Games will be livestreamed co-exclusively via the OneFootball platform, which is available on mobile and connected television applications. Matches will also be streamed on the OneFootball website. As well as live games, fans will be able to watch short-form video content, highlights and other supplementary programming.
Bundesliga Pass was first announced in 2019 as a service intended to launch in dark broadcast markets, with the potential of becoming a standalone product that could complement coverage from existing local broadcast partners.
The DFL developed the product internally, with Andreas Heyden, the then-chief executive of DFL Digital Sports, telling SportsPro’s StreamTime Podcast in 2021 that it could be launched “in any given territory within weeks”.
In a statement, DFL chief executive Marc Lenz said: “Our new OTT offering for international markets represents a strategic move to further enhance the visibility of Bundesliga content around the globe, providing us with more flexibility and new options in the marketing of our media rights.
“The media landscape and the media consumption behaviour of fans have changed – and this partnership and new offering is a key component in reaching football fans around the world.”
Peer Naubert, Bundesliga International chief marketing officer, added: “In order to best serve fans and meet our goal of being the most fan-centric league in the world, this new partnership gives fans in these defined markets another way to follow their favourite Bundesliga teams – making it easier for them to enjoy football the way they want to watch.”
OneFootball and the DFL have already worked together extensively, with the digital media company streaming Bundesliga games in Brazil since the 2020/21 campaign.
Separately, OneFootball has also started streaming Serie A games in the UK and Ireland this season, with fans able to watch games on a PPV basis or via a season pass subscription.
“OneFootball is committed to breaking boundaries in how fans experience football globally,” Patrick Fischer, chief executive of OneFootball, told SportsPro. “Adding the Bundesliga to our premium OTT portfolio reflects this commitment and strengthens our offering, joining Serie A, which we made accessible in the UK and Ireland earlier this year. We are proud to collaborate with some of the biggest names in football, connecting fans with their favourite leagues on their terms.
“Our longstanding relationship with the DFL has evolved over the years, and the launch of the Bundesliga Pass marks a pivotal moment. By leveraging our fan-centric platform and innovative streaming models, we aim to make world-class football more inclusive and accessible, meeting the evolving demands of modern fans worldwide.”
“We are proud to have built a best-in-class tech platform which we can offer to our partners like Serie A and DFL, while also bringing the most relevant puzzle-piece to the table – fans,” added Maurits Schön, OneFootball’s chief operating officer.
“Both newly added markets showcase immense enthusiasm for the game, and we are excited to offer fans direct access to the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2. Vietnam’s digital-first culture and South Africa’s vibrant football-loving community make them ideal additions to our growing portfolio of international markets.”
