Sports
SPN renews Bundesliga broadcast deal for three years
Mumbai: Bundesliga International has agreed to a three-year deal with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) for the exclusive media rights to broadcast Bundesliga matches in India and the Subcontinent, that includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and the Maldives. Indian football fans can continue to catch the live action from Bundesliga on Sony Sports Network and their on-demand OTT platform, Sony LIV.
The deal, which runs until the end of the 2025-26 season, ensures that SPN remains the premier destination for Bundesliga fans to watch their favourite Bundesliga clubs like Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and more; top players like Marco Reus, Manuel Neuer, Mario Götze and more, along with emerging young talented players poised to make their mark in the game like Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies, Florian Wirtz and more. In order to engage football fans in India, Bundesliga is launching the “Goal Arena – the Bundesliga Konferenz”, a special feed that will for the first time, enable viewers to watch the best action from the five matches taking place simultaneously on a Saturday evening.
Bundesliga International CMO Peer Naubert said, “Building long-term relationships with market leaders like Sony is key to our strategy as we seek to cement our position as the fastest growing league. The success of this model is clear when we see that our live audience numbers have doubled in the last two seasons, and ensuring our fans feel connected, no matter where they are in the world, is extremely important to us.
The Bundesliga is often considered the home of Asian talent, having fielded more Asian players in the last 20 years than the other top four European leagues combined. We value this position and, working alongside Sony, hope to inspire the next generation of Indian football talent.”
Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer – distribution & international business and head – sports cluster, Rajesh Kaul said, “We are pleased to extend our partnership with Bundesliga International for three more years. We have seen a significant growth in viewership since we started broadcasting the Bundesliga on our network. The stature of the league, the legacy of the clubs as well as the players, the favourable broadcast timing in conjunction with our marketing and programming efforts will further help grow the following of Bundesliga in India.”
As part of its ongoing commitment to strengthening and developing football talent in India, the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and Bundesliga clubs like Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig have already established a number of partnerships in the region. In May 2023, Bundesliga International collaborated with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the DFB to host the India U-17 national team for a 15-day training camp in Germany, where the team trained and played friendly matches against youth teams from FC Augsburg and VfB Stuttgart.
Sports
Ashish Limaye bags gold and bronze at Montelibretti 2026 event
Indian rider shines in Italy, gains ground ahead of higher-level tests
MUMBAI: Ashish Limaye delivered a strong performance on the international stage, clinching both gold and bronze at the FEI Eventing Competition Montelibretti 2026 held in Italy earlier this month.
Competing against riders from across the globe, Limaye secured the top podium finish in the CCI 2 Long Format riding Easy Turn, registering a score of 30.2 in a field that featured participants from five nations. He followed it up with a bronze medal in the CCI 2 Short Format aboard Willy Be Dun, scoring 32 in a much larger and highly competitive pool of 66 riders representing nine countries.
Reflecting on the outing, Fédération Equestre Internationale event rider Ashish Limaye said, “Riding at Montelibretti was amazing. To compete with such talented riders from around the world was fantastic. I’m really happy with the results and the effort our team has put in.”
Beyond the podium finishes, Limaye also achieved a milestone result on D’Avril du Pinier, earning a Minimum Eligibility Requirement, bringing him closer to qualifying for the FEI World Equestrian Games.
While the Montelibretti competition was not a direct qualifier for major multi-sport events, it serves as a crucial stepping stone as Limaye prepares to move up to the more demanding CCI 3 level.
With momentum firmly on his side, the Indian rider now looks set to build on this success as he targets bigger stages in the global equestrian circuit.
