February 26 – The German Bundesliga has moved to lock in its position in China, signing a fresh Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Media Group (CMG) that secures domestic broadcast rights through to the end of the 2027/28 season and broadens cooperation off-screen.
The agreement was signed in Beijing by German Football League (DFL) Chief Executive Steffen Merkel and CMG President Shen Haixiong during the recent German state visit to China – making it clear that the Bundesliga wants long-term certainty in one of its most strategic overseas markets.
CMG will continue to show live Bundesliga matches from 2025/26 to 2027/28. CCTV first aired the league back in 1995, and the relationship has now passed the 30-year mark – a rarity in international sports media cycles that are usually far more volatile.
Beyond rights, the deal will wrap up closer collaboration in content development, club exchanges and industry cooperation. The Bundesliga already operates from a Beijing office and maintains permanent club footprints through Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt – more embedded presences than any other European league currently claims.
On top of that, the DFL has continued to host Chinese youth squads in Germany under its Bundesliga Dream initiative, while framing its academy system as a model for long-term structural growth.
Thirty years after first landing on Chinese television screens, the Bundesliga is making sure it stays there.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1772104473labto1772104473ofdlr1772104473owedi1772104473sni@g1772104473niwe.1772104473yrrah1772104473
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