Volleyball World secures ZDF deal for German national team coverage
June 26, 2026 10.27 Europe/London By Jörn Krieger

Volleyball World has agreed a new multi-year media rights partnership with German public broadcaster ZDF, bringing free-to-air coverage of Germany’s national volleyball teams to viewers across Germany.

The agreement covers matches involving Germany’s men’s and women’s national teams in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL). Under the deal, ZDF will broadcast all German national team matches and expand volleyball coverage across its linear television channels and streaming platform.

The partnership follows an extension of Volleyball World’s agreement with Munich-based consultancy SN1 Sports through 2032. Under the renewed mandate, SN1 Sports will continue to exclusively advise and support the sale of indoor and beach volleyball media rights across multiple European markets, including Germany, where it helped secure the ZDF agreement.

“This agreement marks a major milestone for Volleyball World and German volleyball. Partnering with ZDF means our competitions will be able to reach more fans across Germany than ever before, while giving fans unprecedented free access to elite international volleyball. This is a critical step towards increasing the visibility of volleyball across Germany,” said Felix von Knorring, Head of Media at Volleyball World.

Sascha Kojic, CEO of SN1 Sports, added: “It was crucial for us to find Volleyball World a truly strategic partner in Germany, and ZDF is exactly that. Their comprehensive digital coverage is just as important as free-to-air, with their streaming service already proving its outstanding reach and engagement during major sporting events. This partnership ensures volleyball is positioned strategically for long-term growth.”

According to Volleyball World, all German national team matches from this summer’s men’s and women’s VNL competitions will be available across ZDF’s free-to-air and digital platforms.

Volleyball World is the commercial arm of global volleyball association FIVB and operates major international volleyball properties including the Volleyball Nations League, the World Championships and the Beach Pro Tour. SN1 Sports is a sports media consultancy and investment firm specialising in media rights, commercial partnerships and private equity transactions in the sports sector.