Former England and Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has secured live broadcasting rights for the Bundesliga across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 39-year-old free agent beat out former Manchester United defender Gary Neville to secure the deal. Vardy will broadcast seven Friday night matches from Germany's top division throughout the season, watching and commenting on the action live on his YouTube channel.
The partnership begins tonight as German giants Bayern Munich take on Stuttgart in the Bundesliga season curtain-raiser.
Vardy launched his YouTube channel and podcast in June after leaving Italian club Cremonese following their relegation from Serie A. He is currently without a club as he searches for his next playing opportunity, with Daily Mail Sport reaching out to his representatives for comment.
Broadcast Details and Channel Growth
The move follows digital creator Mark Goldbridge acquiring a similar broadcasting arrangement last season for his channel, That's Football. Goldbridge's Bundesliga live streams typically attract between 20,000 and 30,000 views from a subscriber base of 1.5 million. Vardy currently has 12,800 subscribers on his channel.
Despite his growing subscriber count, Vardy has already generated significant viewership on individual videos. His most popular upload by far featured automotive YouTuber Mat Armstrong, pulling in 150,000 views. The podcast has also hosted prominent football figures, including Everton manager Sean Dyche, former Leicester captain Wes Morgan, and former England goalkeeper David James.
Industry Reaction and Future Plans
A source told The Sun: "This is a huge move for Jamie as he expands his talents in broadcasting, while still playing football. He's buzzing to reach Bundesliga fans and chat with star guests about action on the pitch. He's hoping to create a real community with his podcast and is loving getting into the nitty gritty of the sport."
Production company Workerbee is producing the broadcasts for Vardy's channel. Rick Murray, chief executive officer of Workerbee, highlighted the shifting landscape for football supporters following the announcement.
"Fans don't just want to watch football anymore, they want to experience it with the people they already know and trust," Murray said. "Jamie has built an incredible community around the podcast, and thanks to our Bundesliga partnership, we can bring that audience closer to some seriously big games."
