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Bundesliga TV rights row

Currently 70 per cent of television revenue in the Bundesliga is distributed on the basis of league performance over the last five years compared with just 25 per cent determined by league position in the Premier League.

A recent proposal drafted by current Bundesliga side FSV Mainz 05 and explicitly supported by fellow recently promoted first-tier teams Arminia Bielefeld and VfB Stuttgart seeks to raise that number as high as €50 million. Second-tier side Jahn Regensburg is also attached to the initiative.

Germany's "Bild am Sonntag" published details of the redistribution motion over the weekend. The band of clubs aims to cap TV revenue redistribution for the 18 top-flight Bundesliga clubs at 80 percent of income received. 

The current system reserves 100 percent of the income for the 18 Bundesliga clubs. The second Bundesliga receives a separate stipend from the DFL, which automatically increases by €1 million each year. 

Several German news sources report that several other clubs may be close to lending their support to the initiative. Even those who do not face relegation have long held a legitimate grievance that the Bundesliga revenue redistribution model unfairly suppresses competition.

Only 25 percent of TV revenues are evenly distributed, with the remaining three quarters reserved for clubs who meet performance initiatives like qualifying for the UEFA Champions or Europa League. 

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