By Andy Fry
German media group ProSiebenSat.1 has extended its partnership with the European League of Football until at least 2026. Under the new deal, the company will broadcast 30 games on its free-to-air channel Maxx (two per round), starting with the 2023 season. It will also stream games on its ran.de platform.
The European League of Football is an NFL-style ‘gridiron’ competition that has built up a robust fanbase in Germany. ELF managing director Zeljko Karajica said the ProSiebenSat.1 family “has been a strong and important partner for our league since day one. It is a milestone for our development that we continue this path together. European football has never had such a media presence before.”
SVP at ProSiebenSat.1 division Seven.One Sports and ran’s head of sports, Alexander Rösner added: “With more airtime, the ELF success story continues. We believed in this idea from the start and are pleased to be able to accompany the League on its way to becoming the ‘Champions League of European Football’.”
The renewed partnership has an added significance for ProSiebenSat.1, which lost the rights to NFL coverage in late 2022. The broadcaster played a key role in growing NFL’s profile in Germany, but saw the latest rights cycle go to rival RTL, which will showcase the franchise across its TV and streaming services. At the time, RTL called American football the most popular sport in Germany among 14 to 49-year-olds.
