Bayern Munich signs content sharing deal with ESPN

Bayern Munich has become the first soccer club in the world, let alone Germany, to establish a unique content sharing agreement with ESPN, the sports entertainment giant based in the U.S. The move follows on Bayern’s ongoing effort to extend its global reach across the Atlantic in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America.

ESPN will have the rights to use and share Bayern video content on its English and Spanish-language programs. Bayern will provide a wide variety of features: behind-the-scenes video, pre- and post-match reports, press briefings, and more that ESPN can integrate into its programming.

Bayern’s President of the Americas, Rudolf Vidal, outlined how the venture fits into Bayern’s broader outreach plans:

ESPN is one of the world’s leading sports entertainment company with an impressive audience. Since opening our first international office in the U.S. our mission has always been to bring the club closer to followers across the Americas, and ESPN’s reach and storytelling is an ideal platform to connect and service our family of fans.

Scott Guglielmino, ESPN Senior Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions, highlighted the strength of Bayern’s global brand as a major incentive for ESPN:

As one of the most successful clubs in European Football, Bayern Munich is a dominant global brand in the sport. This agreement provides ESPN with access to original content directly from Bayern Munich and will allow us to better serve soccer fans throughout the year.

ESPN will share Bayern video content on its many studio programs, such as SportsCenter and ESPN FC in the U.S., and on its digital and social media platforms ESPN also has a very wide reach in Latin America, including popular programs such as SportsCenter in Spanish and Fútbol Picante.

Lastly, ESPN will also be the official broadcaster of the International Champions Cup, which takes place later this summer, and broadcast both FC Bayern Munich on its channels.