The Bundesliga kicked off its 2020/2021 season on Friday with a virtual press conference for American media as the league looks to showcase its product to the now cemented American soccer audience. The deal with ESPN will provide Bundesliga content like never before in the United States, with over 300 games to be shown on various ESPN platforms.
Robert Klein, CEO of Bundesliga International, and Russell Wolff, Executive VP & General Manager of ESPN+ stressed the importance to tap into the game within the game and storytelling that has made ESPN so famous. The opportunity to provide fans with content that will center around what makes the Bundesliga one of the top leagues in the world.
At the center ofthat extra content are the American players playing in the Bundesliga. There are 6 players from the United States playing in various clubs ofthe German top flight and telling each of these players’ stories will add value to the games that will be broadcast across the network.Inthe opening week of the season, SportsCenter will run a profile on Borussia Dortmund’s Giovanni “Gio” Reyna, as a way to start hooking the American audience.
Details of the partnership
The multi-year deal will give fans over 300 games to view across the various ESPN networks and digital platforms. There will be games in both English and Spanish, as well as storytelling content that will air throughout the week on various shows across the network and on digital platforms. There will also be content shows like the Top 50 goals of last season and interviews with players and managers during the course of the season.
The backbone of the deal will be the story features on American and top Bundesliga players. Those featureswill convey the German lifestyle and struggles these players face and will provide key content to follow throughout the season. ESPN will also air classic Bundesliga matches of the past as a way to showcase the great history of the league.
The Bundesliga and American players
In the virtual press conference two of the United States‘ most historic players, former captain Claudio Reyna, father of Gio Reyna, and former national team goalkeeper Kasey Keller were present to provide a first-hand account of life in Germany. Both played in the Bundesliga at certain points of their careers and went through their own experiences of what life was like in the German top flight.
Claudio Reyna, who played for Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg in the mid-90s, stressed that at first going to Germany was a huge culture shock. German teams, at that time, rarely had an emphasis on young talent, often relying on older, established players, and for the young Reyna, few if any, teammates spoke in English. Something that today is completely different.
For Kasey Keller, who played for Borussia Mönchengladbach one year before the 2006 World Cup, when he arrived “…everything was different. The stadiums were all being built in preparation for the World Cup and almost every one of my teammates spoke English. It made things easier.” Keller also noted that the Bundesliga provides young Americans an opportunity to “get better” and that “there is a little bit more patience withyounger players than other top leagues, but eventually you have to produce. Sure, the league has mechanisms in place to help young talent, but eventually, they will want to see results and you will have to produce or you lose your spot.”
The Bundesliga, historically, has been very welcoming toAmericans, 58 players have suited up for German teams over the years, and now the six that are there now, play vital roles on their teams. The new TV deal is a platform that will bring more fans to one of Europe’s top leagues.