Bundesliga to enter another dimension?

German telecommunications provider Deutsche Telekom and TV broadcaster Sky Deutschland are reported to be holding talks with the German football league (DFL) over rights to broadcast Bundesliga matches in 3D.

According to a report in German magazine Focus, the tender for these rights will commence next year, which is one year earlier than previous rounds of bidding for TV rights.
 
Sky Deutschland currently pay €240 million Euros (US$305 million) to broadcast Bundesliga matches live and have already televised the first ever 3D Bundesliga match to a selected audience in March. Speaking after that game, between Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburger SV, Reinhard Rauball, chairman of the League Association stated: "It is an advantage for our sports if the viewing experience is reaching a new attraction level, but it should not cost more than today’s productions."
 
Deutsche Telekom’s revenue reached €64.60 billion (US$82.11 billion) in 2009, the telecommunications giants have also been at the forefront of innovative television broadcasts, most notably when it aired the opening match of the 2010 ice hockey world championships between Germany and USA earlier this year in 3D over its IPTV network.
 
The Bundesliga’s current bulk of revenue streams is through its traditional television rights package, currently with Sky. Germany remains the biggest attraction on a weekly attendance basis in European soccer with an average attendance of 41,802 fans per game during the 2009-10 season. The atmosphere also reigns supreme with stadiums like Signal Iduna Park throbbing and boasting unrivalled decibel levels week-in, week-out; add to this a dash of 3D viewing and one is left with the possibility that the viewing experience of one of the finest leagues in Europe is perhaps not far off watching a game live.
 
The English Premier League holds the bragging rights for the first ever sports event in history to be shown (Arsenal vs. Manchester United in February 2010) in 3D, but the prospect of 3D Bundesliga matches would unquestionably bolster the already financially secure German league. With a bidding war potentially starting next year, the German soccer’s fan experience looks to reach new levels.
 
When it comes to 3D entertainment, the German league has been the subject of another groundbreaking scheme. In May 2009, Topps Europe Ltd. combined with software provider Total Immersion to launch a collection of the world’s first 3D soccer stickers exclusively for the Bundesliga by using augmented reality technology.
 
The rights for broadcasting rights are likely to be bought for a colossal amount but whether Sky Deutschland or Deutsche Telekom win, one thing is certain, German soccer’s recent ascendency shows no signs of abating.