Stefan Wistuba to take over as Sportcast CEO in 2027
November 14, 2026 00.56 Europe/London By Jörn Krieger

Stefan Wistuba will become CEO of Sportcast on 1 July 2027, succeeding Josef Nehl, who is retiring after 21 years at the helm of the German Bundesliga’s production subsidiary.

The company’s Supervisory Board has unanimously approved the appointment. Wistuba will join Sportcast’s Management Board on 1 May 2027, allowing for a two-month transition period alongside Nehl, who will leave the company on 30 June 2027.

Wistuba, 48, joins Sportcast from Host Broadcast Services (HBS), where he has held various management positions since 2008. Most recently, he was responsible for the TV production of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA. He has also overseen the production of numerous other major sporting events for HBS.

“With Stefan Wistuba, we have also found the right successor to continue this successful development and to further advance Sportcast within a dynamically changing media and technology landscape,” said Steffen Merkel, Chairman of the Sportcast Supervisory Board and CEO of the Bundesliga. He highlighted Wistuba’s experience in media and production, as well as his innovative approach.

Merkel also paid tribute to outgoing CEO Nehl, who has led Sportcast since its foundation in 2006. “With his vast experience, high standards of quality and keen sense of technological developments, he has made a significant contribution to raising the media production of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 to the very highest international standards,” he added.

From 1 July 2027, Wistuba will lead Sportcast alongside Alexander Günther, who has been with the company since its foundation and has served as Managing Director since 2011.

Based in Cologne, Sportcast is one of the world’s largest sports media production companies. It has delivered more than 13,500 live productions since its establishment in 2006, including all Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 matches, promotion/relegation play-offs and the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. It has also produced the base signal for all DFB Pokal matches since the 2008-09 season.

Sportcast coordinates the contribution and international distribution of these signals to rights holders in more than 200 countries.