This archive report was first published on 17 May 2020.
On May 16, 2020, the German Football League (DFL) resumed play after a two-month break due to the coronavirus, with Sky Germany broadcasting the matches to a record audience.
According to DWDL.de, the restart of the Bundesliga drew over six million viewers in Germany, a new record for the broadcaster. This figure is more than double the usual audience for a typical round of Saturday matches.
When the matches were played behind closed doors in near-empty stadiums, Sky Germany broadcast the 'Konferenz' on its free-to-view Sports News Channel, which was watched by 2.45 million viewers.
The main game of the day saw Erling Braut Haaland score the first Bundesliga goal since mid-March, helping Borussia Dortmund rout rivals Schalke 4-0 and stay in the title race with Bayern Munich.
With the Bundesliga matches played behind closed doors, Sky Germany's market share on their pay-to-view channels was 27.4 percent, while their free channel had a market share of 18.2 percent.
According to DWDL.de, the total market share in the target group of 14-49 year olds was 'over 60 percent', a record for Sky Germany.
Having been granted permission to restart after the German government approved the league's strict hygiene guidelines, the Bundesliga is the first top European league to resume play.
There are hopes that the leagues in Italy, Spain, and England can restart next month, while the French league season has already been scrapped.
