BVB v Mainz live on free TV: What’s behind the move | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund hosts Mainz 05 on Friday evening – and the match will be broadcast live on free TV. Why RTL is showing the game and what’s behind the broadcast.

Good news for all BVB fans: The Bundesliga home match between Borussia Dortmund and FSV Mainz 05 on Friday evening will be shown live on free TV by RTL. Kick-off is under the floodlights, and Sky will also be broadcasting the match in parallel.

The broadcast is made possible by a sub-licensing arrangement. The rights agreement between Sky and the Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH (DFL) stipulates that each season, one match from the first half and one from the second half of the season may be shown on free-to-air television – either for free on Sky itself or on a partner channel. RTL is now taking advantage of this “taster offer” for the second time this season. In January, the Cologne-based broadcaster had already aired the match between Cologne and Bayern – also as a “Friday Night Under the Floodlights.”

The background to this cooperation is the planned takeover of Sky by RTL. The Cologne-based company wants to buy the pay-TV provider, but approval from the relevant authorities is still pending. Until then, there will continue to be individual sub-licensed matches like the Dortmund vs. Mainz duel.

Against Mainz: Ex-BVB coach Terzic set for return to Dortmund

Compared to the January broadcast, there is a change this time: RTL will forgo its own commentator and instead use the commentary from the Sky colleague. The team of experts, however, remains high-profile. Edin Terzic will analyze the match. The 43-year-old was BVB’s coach until summer 2024 and is now regularly working as a TV pundit – including for international matches.

From a sporting perspective, the encounter also has a special touch. Dortmund is currently six points behind league leaders Bayern and, thanks to a slump from the record champions, has managed to bring some excitement back into the title race. However, BVB urgently needs a home win to keep up the pressure.

The reunion with Mainz is particularly explosive: It was against the team from the Rhine that Dortmund squandered their big chance at the championship on the final matchday of the 2022/23 season with a 2-2 draw, having been in pole position before the finale. Terzic was on the sidelines back then – now he will accompany the duel against the former title spoilers from a TV perspective.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.