FC Bayern München to visit Japan as part of SKY PerfecTV! Bundesliga Japan Tour 2023

Photo: DFL/Getty Images/Sebastian Widmann
  • FC Bayern München will become the second Bundesliga team to take part in the ‘SKY PerfecTV! Bundesliga Japan Tour’
  • The record champions will take part in two fixtures in July, with all details set to be announced in due course
  • SKY PerfecTV! is the home of the Bundesliga in Japan, where fans can use the ‘Bundesliga Live’ app to curate their own viewing experience through the Interactive Feed

28 April 2023 – In partnership with Japanese broadcaster SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (SPTV), the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga today announced that the second edition of the ‘SKY PerfecTV! Bundesliga Japan Tour’ will take place this summer, when reigning Bundesliga champions FC Bayern München will travel to play multiple matches in the Far East.

The Bundesliga Japan Tour was launched in November 2022 with current UEFA Europa League holders Eintracht Frankfurt, who took on two J1 League clubs; Urawa Reds, and Gamba Osaka.

The 2023 edition of the tour will again consist of two matches, this time featuring FC Bayern München, the Bundesliga’s record champion and six-time winners of the UEFA Champions League.

After a fantastic launch last year, we are delighted that FC Bayern will be the second club to travel to Japan as part of the joint initiative.

Peer Naubert, CMO Bundesliga International

Details of the second match have already been confirmed, with Bayern taking on Kawasaki Frontale at the National Stadium on 29 July. More information, including the first opponent, exact timings, and information regarding ticket sales, will be announced in due course.

Bundesliga Chief Marketing Officer Peer Naubert said: “After a fantastic launch last year, we are delighted that FC Bayern will be the second club to travel to Japan as part of the joint initiative. With 16 Japanese players currently in Germany, this visit of one of the world’s biggest clubs will only add to the growing fanbase in the region. We are excited to partner with SPTV and bring the Bundesliga closer to even more fans throughout Japan.”

FC Bayern with huge fan community in Asia

Andreas Jung, FC Bayern Board Member for Marketing said: “FC Bayern has a huge fan community in Asia, which is constantly growing. We want to drive forward the great enthusiasm for our sport in the region and excite the people there with our team.”

The Bundesliga has long been the home for Japanese players in Europe. Not only has the German top-flight seen more Japanese players than any other league in Europe, but the Japan national team that travelled to the 2022 FIFA World Cup included eight players who currently ply their trade in Germany.

Alongside national team players such as Wataru Endo (VfB Stuttgart) and Ritsu Doan (SC Freiburg), the Bundesliga continues to see young Japanese talent choosing Germany. In January 2023, 18-year-old Taichi Fukui joined FC Bayern and has been a regular in the club’s second team.

In 2020, SPTV signed a broadcast partnership agreement with the Bundesliga, including exclusive broadcasting and distribution rights for five seasons from the 2020-21 season, as well as a commitment to a range of joint marketing activities in Japan.