12.09.2014, 03:00
VELUX EHF Champions League live and exclusive on Sky Deutschland

Sky Deutschland to air the VELUX EHF Champions League and VELUX EHF FINAL4 exclusively in Germany and Austria for the next three seasons

VELUX EHF Champions League live and exclusive on Sky Deutschland

Sky Deutschland has secured the exclusive live broadcasting rights for the VELUX EHF Champions League. As of the 2014/15 season and continuing through the next three seasons, Sky will be the exclusive broadcaster of all games of the German teams as well as the VELUX EHF FINAL4. In addition to the exclusive TV broadcasting rights, the agreement also comprises the internet, IPTV and mobile rights for Germany and Austria.

Michael Wiederer, EHF Secretary General, said: “Sky will take the coverage of handball in a new and innovative direction, and with the rights to broadcast top-class football, including the German Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League as well as golf and motorsport, Europe’s premier club handball competition is in the best company on Sky.”

Peter Vargo, Managing Director of EHF Marketing GmbH, said: “We’re confident that Sky Deutschland will offer a new perspective to the coverage of the VELUX EHF Champions League in the coming years, bringing the TV viewer much closer to the action. We’re pleased and proud to be working with a stronger partner on the German-speaking market and see this agreement as a very positive development for the competition.”

Carsten Schmidt, Executive Vice President, Sports, Advertising Sales & Internet at Sky: “Sky stands for an outstanding sport offering. In addition to football, motorsport, tennis, beach volleyball and golf, we now also offer our customers top-class handball, in which German clubs have played a major role for years. The fact that the VELUX EHF FINAL4 is sold-out every year, as well as the world record audience at the ‘Tag des Handballs’ in Frankfurt, shows the strength and tradition that the sport holds in Germany. Handball is a perfect fit for our live sport offering.”

In the 2014/15 season, the German record-holder THW Kiel, defending champion SG Flensburg-Handewitt and Rhein-Neckar Löwen will represent the Bundesliga in the VELUX EHF Champions League. Sky will broadcast each of the 30 group phase games of the German clubs as well as all games of the Last 16 and quarter-finals with German involvement live and exclusively.

Sky will also be the exclusive broadcaster of the season highlight, the VELUX EHF FINAL4 on 30/31 May 2015 in the LANXESS arena in Cologne, live on German television.

Highlights on Sky.de

The highlights of the games of the German clubs will be available on demand for all handball fans at no cost at sky.de/mediathek.

The first weekend of the VELUX EHF Champions League live on Sky:

Saturday, 27 September:

20:30: Rhein-Neckar Löwen –  Montpellier Agglomeration HB on Sky Sport HD 2

Sunday, 28 September:

16:35: KIF Kolding Kobenhavn – SG Flensburg-Handewitt on Sky Sport HD 2
19:15: HC Prvo plinarsko drustvo Zagreb – THW Kiel on Sky Sport HD 2

About Sky Deutschland:

Sky Deutschland AG is the leading pay-TV provider in Germany and Austria with more than 3.8 million subscribers and revenues amounting to 1.7 billion Euros. The MDAX-listed company offers subscription television as well as on-demand services for private and business customers.

The Sky platform comprises more than 70 exclusive channels, almost all of which are also available in HD. The program portfolio of Sky includes live sports together with the only German 24/7 sports news channel Sky Sport News HD, feature films, series, children's programs and documentaries.

The Sky+ hard disk receiver allows for time-shifted television and the Sky Anytime on-demand service enables customers to enjoy hundreds of constantly changing titles. Sky Go, the leading online TV in Germany, provides access to Sky programming via mobile devices and PCs. Moreover, the online media library Snap by Sky offers thousands of titles – among them blockbusters, classic films, complete series box sets and children's programs.

Sky is the innovation leader in the German and Austrian television markets. In the past two decades, Sky has played a major role in establishing pay-TV as the third pillar of television entertainment alongside fee-financed and advertising-financed broadcasters. Sky has 2,500 employees and is based in Unterföhring near Munich.

About VELUX EHF Champions League:

The VELUX EHF Champions League brings together the leading clubs and top players in Europe’s premier club handball competition. 24 teams compete from September through to May for the chance to qualify for the season’s highlight VELUX EHF FINAL4, which will take place  on 30/31 May 2015 in Cologne’s LANXESS arena. More information at ehfCL.com.

About EHF/EHF Marketing GmbH:

The European Handball Federation is the umbrella organisation for handball throughout Europe with its headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The federation is responsible for top club and national team competitions including the VELUX EHF Champions League. Media and marketing rights for all club competitions are managed by the EHF’s marketing company, EHF Marketing GmbH. More information at eurohandball.com.
 

TEXT: EHF / jjr