After cancellation during BVB game
DFL sticks to TV broadcasts to Russia
04/06/2022, 4:20 p.m
The German Football League hopes that the messages of peace that have been expressed about the Bundesliga games will reach the people of Russia. That’s why she’s not terminating the contract with Match TV in Russia, even though the broadcaster canceled the broadcast at the weekend.
For the time being, the German Football League (DFL) is refraining from an extraordinary termination of its contract with the Russian Bundesliga broadcasting partner Match TV, so the games of the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga can continue to be received in Russia. Such a termination was up for discussion after Match TV had prematurely canceled the broadcast of the top game between Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig (1: 4) on Saturday evening. At the request of ntv.de, the DFL announced that it was relying on “reaching the people of Russia with messages of peace from the stadiums”.
Although “we have taken note that there have been massive restrictions in some cases – up to and including the termination of transmission after anti-war messages”, numerous games in the two highest German divisions in Russia are also shown “in full length”. been. Match TV commentator Igor Kytmanov justified the cancellation of the BVB game with reasons “that are beyond our control”. Before that, however, he had gotten angry about pro-Ukrainian messages in the stadium: “In general, it is said that football and politics should be viewed separately, but this rule is not always respected in the Bundesliga.”
According to the DFL to ntv.de, this incident was “discussed with Match TV with the necessary clarity”. However, the contract was not terminated as a result. Instead, the DFL is relying on the Bundesliga broadcasts to transport the numerous messages, which have been clearly visible and numerous in recent weeks, against the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and for the sovereignty of Ukraine. However, if incidents similar to those on Saturday evening become more frequent, it is also possible for the business relationship to be broken off, because: “At the same time, of course, we are closely monitoring whether and to what extent this possibility is still available.”
At least the pictures seem to work
In a first reaction to the Russian exit from the broadcast, the DFL announced that it wanted to carefully review the process. If the “TV base signal were repeatedly censored, this would result in an extraordinary termination by the DFL”. Since the Russian attack on Ukraine ordered by President Vladimir Putin on February 24, Russia has been controlling what the media reports even tighter than it already has. The word “war,” for example, is a punishable offense, and many foreign media have withdrawn from the country as a result.
The media expert Christina Archetti from the University of Olso had assessed the termination of the Bundesliga broadcast as unsurprising, “because Russia very strictly controls which news is shown.” The Kremlin and President Putin would “find an alternative reality in the face of aggressive war, but it will be difficult to deny people something so big that is shared by so many.”
Other big leagues like the English Premier League or Ligue 1 from France have suspended their contracts in Russia. And at least the cancellation of the Bundesliga broadcast can also be interpreted as a sign that these pictures are arriving. In its reply to ntv.de, the DFL also repeated that “in the current situation it will not benefit from the partnership with Match TV and will donate the income that is still outstanding from the partnership this season to humanitarian aid”.