In a powerful illustration of the growing role of digital-first creators as media channels, Germany’s elite soccer league, the Bundesliga, has granted a tranche of live Friday night rights to YouTube channels The Overlap and That’s Football.
Commenting on the news, That’s Football founder Mark Goldbridge (pictured) said: “The deal will see That’s Football stream 20 live Bundesliga matches on Friday evenings during the 2025/26 season, alongside a new weekly Bundesliga show – 34 dedicated episodes across the campaign featuring highlights, analysis and previews.”
Goldbridge added: “This is a huge moment for me personally and for That’s Football. To be working directly with one of Europe’s biggest leagues is something I never imagined when I started streaming in my spare room. The Bundesliga has always been a league full of incredible talent, and we can’t wait to bring its energy to our community in a way only That’s Football can. This is more than just showing games – it’s about creating a new way for fans to experience football together.”
The sentiment over at The Overlap was equally ecstatic, with CEO Scot Melvin saying he is: “Absolutely thrilled to announce that The Overlap has secured rights to show every Friday night fixture from the Bundesliga.. live! As well as the live matches, we’ll have clips of the best of the action, highlighting the best players, moments and stories. Thanks to Jonny Keogh and the YouTube team for their help getting this over the line.”
The deals with That’s Football and The Overlap are part of a series of UK deals that will see live rights packages across the weekend shared between the BBC, Sky, Amazon Prime and the two YouTube Channels. The Friday night games will also be shown on the Bundesliga’s own YouTube channel.
The deals are part of an emerging trend, with various sporting leagues looking to connect with younger audiences via digital first channels. Recently, Goalhanger announced it had secured highlight rights to Spain’s LaLiga for The Rest Is Football.
The new Bundesliga season starts tomorrow with Bayern Munich playing Leipzig.
