ESPN+ has teamed up with Bundesliga to present a virtual watch party for the Der Klassiker match on November 7th. Fans in the U.S. can sign up for free to be part of the Zoom watch party which will also include a halftime show and interviews with legendary soccer stars.
What’s Happening:
- ESPN+ and Bundesliga are teaming up to host a virtual watch party for the highly-anticipated Der Klassiker match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern München, streaming live in the United States on ESPN+.
- The watch party, hosted via Zoom by ESPN’s Mauricio Pedroza, will include a halftime show featuring interviews with:
- Patrick Owomoyela (Borussia Dortmund)
- Roy Makaay (FC Bayern München)
- Fans in the U.S. can register for free to receive a Zoom link to the watch party, which will begin on Saturday, November 7, at 12:15 pm ET just before kickoff.
- In addition to the halftime interviews, both clubs and the league will have surprises in store for fans throughout the match.
Borussia Dortmund-FC Bayern München Der Klassiker on ESPN+:
- In addition to the virtual watch party, ESPN+ will provide extensive coverage of the first Der Klassiker of the 2020-21 Bundesliga season.
- Saturday’s game is the in-season debut of Der Klassiker on ESPN platforms.
- ESPN+ live match coverage will be streamed in English and Spanish.
Highlights:
- Match commentary: Derek Rae and Taylor Twellman on English-language commentary; Fernando Palomo and Mario Kempes in Spanish
- Surround programming: Dan Thomas, Juergen Klinsmann, Steve Cherundolo, Jan Aage Fjortoft will feature on ESPN FC’s 30-minute pregame and one-hour post-game programs, exclusively on ESPN+. Archie Rhind-Tutt will report from Dortmund.
- Throughout the week, ESPN FC and ESPN Deportes soccer studio shows will feature segments previewing the match, including a Spanish-language roundtable with team ambassadors Claudio Pizarro (FC Bayern München) and Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund) – available on ESPN Deportes Youtube channel.
Der Klassiker Schedule
|
Time (ET) |
Program |
Platforms |
|
12 pm |
ESPN FC – Der Klassiker Pre-Game Dan Thomas, Juergen Klinsmann, Steve Cherundolo, Jan Aage Fjortoft and reporter Archie Rhind-Tutt (onsite) |
ESPN+ |
|
12:30 pm |
Borussia Dortmund – FC Bayern München ENGLISH: Derek Rae and Taylor Twellman SPANISH: Fernando Palomo and Mario Kempes |
ESPN+ |
|
2:30-3:30 pm |
ESPN FC – Der Klassiker Post-Game Thomas, Klinsmann, Cherundolo, Aage Fjortoft, Rhind-Tutt |
ESPN+ |
What They’re Saying:
- Russell Wolff, EVP & General Manager, ESPN+: “Bringing fans together virtually for Der Klassiker is just the latest example of how we’re engaging with fans in new and innovative ways. Together with Bundesliga, we’re able to enhance the live match on ESPN+ with a companion viewing platform that gives fans exclusive access to experience the match with not only each other but also their favorite clubs.”
- Arne Rees, Executive Vice President – Strategy of Americas Bundesliga International office: “Our passionate fans are part of the Bundesliga’s DNA. And though we can’t gather together in the same place, we still want fans to feel united when supporting their team. It is great to be working with ESPN+ to bring Dortmund and Bayern fans in the United States together for one of the biggest matches in world football, and this virtual fan watch party is sure to be a lot of fun.”
- Benedikt Scholz, Head of International and New Business at Borussia Dortmund: “We are very excited to be part of the virtual watch party, providing our fans in the US an opportunity to come together and support our team in this highlight match. It is great to see the growing interest of US soccer fans in BVB and the Bundesliga as a whole and with Gio Reyna, the youngest US player to score a Bundesliga goal, we hope to encourage even more people to follow BVB. Unfortunately we cannot meet our fans in person right now, so we look forward to see many BVB fans on Saturday, making this a great experience for everyone.”
- Rudolf Vidal, FC Bayern München’s President of the Americas: “The Klassiker is always an important date in the Bundesliga calendar. Even though we are in uncertain times we are working with our partners to bring games to life for our fans in the Americas. FC Bayern is the world’s biggest sports family and our aim is to keep us all connected and close to the on-field action,”