| OneFootball GmbH | |
| Founder: | Lucas von Cranach |
| Hq Location: | Greifswalder Straße 212, Berlin, Germany |
| Website: | (German version) (English version) |
OneFootball is a German platform-based football media company. The OneFootball app features live-scores, statistics and news[1] from 200 leagues in 12 different languages covered by a newsroom located in Berlin.[2] In 2019, OneFootball partnered up with Eleven Sports to have the rights to stream directly on the app La Liga in UK[3] and with Sky to transmit 2. Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal matches in Germany.[4] In 2020, OneFootball bought club-founded video forum Dugout. Speaking of the deal to Bloomberg, OneFootball CEO Lucas von Cranach said that the move will "benefit the whole football ecosystem with clubs, federations and leagues able to increase audience reach and harness our powerful data insights to gain a deeper understanding of their fans' engagement as the rise of advertising means they need to know as much as possible".[5]
OneFootball is a football media platform based in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 2008 by Lucas von Cranach, the app provides extensive football coverage, including live scores, statistics, news, and video content.[6]
In 2009, von Cranach launched iLiga,[7] which merged under the OneFootball brand.[8]
The app was featured in the 2016 Apple keynote for watchOS 3.[9]
The management team expanded in 2018 with Franz Koch, former CEO of Puma, as COO and Patrick Fischer, former CEO of SPORT1MEDIA, as CBO.[10]
In 2019, OneFootball rebranded with a new logo.
In May 2022, OneFootball raised €300 million in a Series D financing round led by Liberty City Ventures, with participation from Animoca Brands, Dapper Labs, and others.[11]
In 2020, OneFootball acquired Dugout, a digital media company, to enhance its video content offerings and bolster its position in the football media industry. Dugout brought its global video expertise, network, and distribution capabilities to OneFootball.[12]
This move also added Dugout’s founding clubs - Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid - as shareholders, enhancing OneFootball's reach to over 85 million monthly users globally.[13]
Seven months after raising more than $300 million in NFT funds, the company made three waves of layoffs.[14] This was due to OneFootball's overinvestment by signing various licensing Web3 deals, including the Italian Seria A and Bundesliga. When the contracts were finalized, the crypto winter set in, and the market was in ruins. This prompted OneFootball to restructure all the contracts and realign cost-cutting measures to survive financially.[15]
In total, the company will have reduced its workforce to 250 employees. This comes just 1year after an fund-raising of over 300 million dollars.[16] In June of 2024, CEO Patrick Fischer assured within the German media capital.de of the company's good health and that there would be no more layoffs. "We now have 240 employees, and over 250 employees have been laid off. It was one of the hardest times for me personally. But that's finished now."[17]
In 2022, OneFootball ventured into the Web3 space with Aera, focusing on integrating blockchain technology and NFTs into the football ecosystem. CEO Lucas Von Cranach explained 1 year ago "We are creating an accessible experience for Serie A fans - by being a true platform - they can own digital video moments through us and take them wherever they want - or nowhere - they are theirs, in perpetuity. As members of the community, fans will enjoy even more benefits as we expand our Web3 offering and launch other products". The promised expansion did not last, as the platform has been shut down since June 2023.[18]
Despite the innovative approach, Aera faced external challenges and was shut down shortly after its launch in 2023. OneFootball stated it had not found a commercially viable route that satisfied the company and its partners while providing a comprehensive user offering. While some Aera NFT holders have expressed disappointment, OneFootball returned funds to NFT users who requested. Consequently, the Aera marketplace ceased operations in June 2023.[18]
In March 2023, Lucas von Cranach stepped down as CEO amid the company’s financial challenges. Maurits Schön, who joined OneFootball in 2022 and previously served as Vice President of Operations, was promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO). In his new role, Maurits will act as Managing Director alongside the newly appointed CEO, Patrick Fischer.[19] [20]
The company has faced significant financial challenges, prompting a reevaluation of its business model and strategic direction. Reports indicate that OneFootball is undertaking measures to stabilize its operations and continue serving its user base with high-quality football content and services. Fischer stated: “We burned our fingers heavily one and half years ago, like any other company in the Web3 space, so our proposition going forward will be a global football marketplace for content products and services.[21]
| Competition | Country | Territorial Availability | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bundesliga | Rights in Indian Subcontinent, Baltics, UK, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Netherlands, Malta and San Marino. | ||
| 2. Bundesliga | |||
| DFL-Supercup | |||
| DFB-Pokal | |||
| Danish Superliga | Rights outside of Denmark | ||
| Úrvalsdeild karla |  Iceland | Rights outside of Iceland | |
| Kazakhstan Premier League | Rights outside of Kazakhstan | ||
| Latvian Higher League | Rights outside of Baltics | ||
| NIFL Premiership | Rights outside of UK | ||
| Eliteserien | Rights outside of Norway | ||
| Ekstraklasa | Rights outside of Poland (other selected territories are excluded) | ||
| Swiss Super League | Rights in Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany and Austria | ||
| Slovak Fortuna Liga | Rights outside of Slovakia | ||
| Austrian Bundesliga | Rights outside of Austria (excluding South Korea) | ||
| K League 1 | Rights outside of South Korea (excluding Japan) | ||
| AFC Champions League Elite | Asia | Rights in UK, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, MENA (excluding Israel), South Africa, Latin America (excluding Brazil), Netherlands, Malta and San Marino. [22] | |
| AFC Champions League Two | |||
| AFC Challenge League | |||
| Europe | Live and Highlights on the App and on the website by OneFootball in the outside of the Europe. | ||
| UEFA Europa League | |||
| UEFA Europa Conference League | |||
| CONMEBOL Libertadores | South America | Live and Highlights on the App and on the website by OneFootball in the outside of the Latin America (excluding Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Japan, and Brazil). | |
| CONMEBOL Sudamericana | |||
| CONMEBOL Recopa | |||
| Serie A | Live and Highlights on the App and on the website by OneFootball in the outside of the Italy. | ||
| Liga 1 | Rights outside of Indonesia (excluding Israel and Oceania) | ||
| AFC Asian Cup | Asia | Rights in UK, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Netherlands, Malta and San Marino. | |
| Saudi Professional League | Rights outside of the Saudi Arabia | ||
| Indian Super League | Rights outside of Indian Subcontinent |
| Competition | Country | Territorial Availability | |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Liga | Highlights in UK via Premier Sports | ||
| DFB-Pokal | PPV rights in UK via Premier Sports[23] | ||
| Liga Portugal | PPV rights in UK via Premier Sports | ||
| Serie B | PPV rights in Italy and US via Helbiz | ||
| Serie C | PPV rights in selected international markets outside of Italy via Eleven Sports | ||
| Coppa Italia Serie C | PPV rights in selected international markets outside of Italy via Eleven Sports | ||
| Campionato Primavera 1 | Rights in Italy via Sportitalia | ||
| Campeonato Brasileiro Série A | PPV rights in Brazil via Casimiro. Highlights in Brazil via Grupo Globo Rights in Italy via Sportitalia[24] | ||
| Campeonato Brasileiro Série C | Group stage PPV rights in Brazil via NSports | ||
| Campeonato Paranaense | PPV rights in Brazil via NSports | ||
| Campeonato Catarinense | |||
| Primera División de Argentina | Rights in Italy via Sportitalia | ||
| Premier League | Rights in Indonesia via Emtek |