Increase Bundesliga´s TV rights or be left behind – Rummenigge

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has called for more competition in the bidding process for Bundesliga television rights to keep pace with the Premier League.

According to Deloitte, the Premier League has broken the £1billion mark for transfer spending in a single year for the first time in 2015, and Rummenigge is “concretely afraid” about the future competitiveness of the Bundesliga in regards to the UEFA Champions League.

With England’s top tier spending a total of £870million this summer, almost double the next best (Serie A, £450m), Rummenigge wants the Bundesliga’s TV rights deal to increase before they are left out of sight.

In England with Sky and BT challenging each other for the Premier League rights “the prices are going through the roof,” according to Rummenigge.

The 59-year-old former striker has challenged ARD – a consortium of public broadcasters in Germany – to challenge Sky to drive the price up over €1bn in Germany.

“The ARD has allowed itself to lose the qualification matches of the national team and the Olympic rights,” Rummenigge told Suddeutsche Zeitung.

He added: “There is a competition called Bundesliga, and there is no reason not to create a contest called television, especially with Pay TV.”