Target audience-specific extra content and authentic storytelling formats
The DFL expands its international media portfolio regularly. What’s new in the 2022-23 season?
10 Octobber 2022 – The DFL’s International Product Portfolio (IPP) is a leading source of content provided by a sports league. New features are added every season. A range of new services has been included for the 2022-23 season, allowing international licensees to expand their own media offerings. Some highlights:
Tactical Feed
The Tactical Feed, offered for Saturday night top matches, displays data-driven, context-sensitive match information dynamically along the edge of the screen. It is now available for international top-match broadcasts, with the graphics and commentary produced in English. Trained live commentators with specific expertise are available, including data-savvy head commentators such as the internationally-known James Thorogood and Kevin Hatchard, who provide background information and guide viewers through the match. The main commentator is regularly supported by a football expert, such as former Bundesliga professionals Steffen Freund or Thomas Broich, who analyse tactical formations and give their personal assessments and explanations of the events on the pitch.
Localised Elements
To deliver relevant content to Bundesliga fans in North, Central and South America as well as Africa, the range of localised content offered for these regions has been expanded. Weekly and monthly video clips tailored to the respective target audiences allow regional distributors to supply content their viewers can more easily relate to. The focus is on national players as well as other famous players from the respective country who can provide context and reference to help viewers understand the football-related activities on and off the pitch. For optimum engagement with the specific target audiences, the Localised Elements are not only produced in English language but also in Spanish, especially for North, Central and South America, in Portuguese, especially for Brazil, and French, especially for Africa.
My Story
My Story is a new, monthly feature. It presents a player from the Bundesliga in an in-depth interview. The first two interviewees highlighted in this new format were Alphonso Davies and Sadio Mané from FC Bayern München. The My Story interviews cover far more than just football. Rather, they are intended to provide viewers with an opportunity to get to know the featured player as a person, as well. His thoughts, his development, his highs and lows are presented as authentically as possible. As a new development step of the Interview of the Month, My Story caters to fans’ interest in content that makes the player personalities come alive and can be delivered both on TV and through OTT or digital channels.
World Feed
The World Feed is the professionally produced live signal distributed internationally by the DFL. To account for the growing importance of OTT transmission, the international live rundown has been further optimised: while traditional TV stations typically broadcast studio content or advertisements during half-time intervals, OTT providers frequently continue transmitting the live signal from the stadium. Now the delivery of match highlights, comprehensive statistics overlays, compilations from the club or player history, and similar content continue to provide quality entertainment during the half-time break, when there is no action on the pitch. Similarly, immediately after the end of a match English live interviews with key players are now included in the World Feed so international viewers can directly witness the most relevant reactions after the match, and broadcaster reporters can refer to and discuss those statements. Dr Steffen Merkel, Member of the DFL Management Board and Director of Audiovisual Rights, commented: “We are delivering these innovative features in response to our global DFL media partners’ requests for a wider range of live content and authentic, localised storytelling, not least to attract additional target audiences as new Bundesliga fans and stir their enthusiasm.”