ARD criticises Cartel Office move on football highlights

German public broadcaster ARD has criticised the Federal Cartel Office’s decision on Friday to allow the German Football League (DFL) to adopt a model that could see free-to-air football highlights made available to internet service providers before broadcasters.

The Bundeskartellamt approved a plan by the DFL to put free-to-air rights to tender from 2013-14, which could allow highlights to be shown on the internet and on online TV services from 19:00, competing with ARD’s established evening sports show and Bundesliga report at 18:30.

ARD said the decision called into question the future of its early evening show. In 2008 the regulator rejected a similar plan by the DFL on the grounds that the internet was an inadequate substitute for TV in many rural areas.