German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF, and pay-broadcaster Premiere, acquired the TV rights for the German domestic football cup in a three-year deal, worth 50 Euro million per year.

The deal was agreed by the 36 first and second division Bundesliga clubs through their central marketing system. This method of selling rights is currently under investigation by the German competition authorities, which suspect it stifles competition.

The Bundesliga clubs agree TV rights deals centrally, and split the revenues between them. The current anti-trust investigation in Germany could potentially affect the six-season, €3 billion deal for the league TV rights, agreed with Sirius, a joint venture media rights and production company owned by Leo Kirch and the German league.

In an interview last month, anti-trust agency official Ralph Langhoff said: ‘Central marketing of media rights has the same effect as controlling prices.’

However the latest deal is being seen as a vote of confidence in the central-selling method. Bundesliga chief executive Christian Seifert has said he believes the anti-trust investigation will soon reach a conclusion favourable to the league’s current methods.