Excitement building for “Der Klassiker” – in Germany and all over the world
4 April 2019 – Things could hardly be any more exciting at the top of the Bundesliga table, with Borussia Dortmund enjoying a two-point lead over FC Bayern München after Matchday 27 of the 2018-19 season. A prediction on what is going to happen in the race for the Bundesliga Title seems impossible. After all, it was only last weekend that Dortmund fought their way back to the top of the table. As a result, Saturday’s match (6:30 p.m. CEST) between FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund in the Allianz Arena has all the makings of a “Klassiker”.
The 100th clash between these two Bundesliga teams is electrifying fans not only in Germany but also far beyond, hence the massive global media interest. The match will be broadcast in more than 205 of the 211 FIFA member countries. The DFL will be offering the very highest technological standards: Media partners and broadcasters will have access to the live images from inside the stadium produced by the DFL subsidiary Sportcast, and fans watching on screens will be able to enjoy the match from more angles and perspectives than ever before. Usually there are already between 19 and 21 cameras in use to capture a Bundesliga match, but for this classic encounter, another four special cameras will be deployed, bringing the total to 25 – a Bundesliga record!
Corner flag cameras also to be deployed
Spectacular shots will be supplied among other cameras by a drone and the Flycam, a long-established piece of equipment in the Bundesliga. On Saturday, the images supplied by this equipment will, with the help of augmented reality technology, be used to present various graphical elements such as team line-ups and statistics as if they can actually be seen inside the stadium rather than purely for the benefit of fans watching on screens. This technology has already been used, for example during the first leg fixture at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK last November:
For the first time ever, a mini, remote-controlled ultra-slow-motion camera will be deployed in the area behind the goals. With its lens directed through the goal net, it will prove especially valuable in capturing – right up close and in high-resolution slow-motion – the emotions and drama of near-goal action like free kicks, corners and penalties. In addition, “Der Klassiker” will also be used to test an enhanced prototype of the corner flag camera under live conditions. Initial tests have already been conducted at various events including SportsInnovation 2018 and the latest Supercup between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Bayern München.
The fact that not only national media partners but also at least 16 international TV broadcasters will be dispatching their own crews to the Allianz Arena in Munich is further testament to the global interest in this classic footballing clash. The following broadcasters will be transmitting live – complete with native-language commentary and interviews with players and experts: FOX Sports (USA, Netherlands, South America), beIN Sports (Middle East, France), Eleven Sports (Poland, Belgium, Portugal), NENT Group (Norway, Sweden, Denmark), PPTV (China), Primetel (Cyprus), Digi Sport (Czech Republic), COSMOTE TV (Greece) and StarTimes (Sub-Saharan Africa). The international media partners can also use any of the content produced by the DFL subsidiary DFL Digital Sports made available by the DFL via the International Product Portfolio (IPP) – including the entire game with English-language commentary as well as interviews and highlights (more information about the IPP can be found here).
The Bundesliga is Europe’s highest-scoring top league
This Saturday’s match between FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund is a clash of not only the top two teams, but also two of the Bundesliga’s current top scorers: Robert Lewandowski (19 goals) and Paco Alcácer (16 goals). The first leg between these teams – where both the Pole and Spaniard scored – showed a trend that has intensified during the course of the season: The five goals that we witnessed during Dortmund’s 3:2 victory in November may not necessarily be the rule, but 3.1 goals per match mean that the Bundesliga is (as of 4 April, 10 a.m.) Europe’s highest-scoring top league, ahead of the English Premier League (2.8), the Italian Serie A (2.7), the Spanish La Liga (2.6) and the French Ligue 1 (2,5).
