- German soccer’s “Der Klassiker” rivalry will air on ABC, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes
- Coverage on ESPN Deportes begins at 11 a.m. ET, and 12 p.m. on ABC, ESPN+ and digital platforms
- ESPN+ Exclusive – Star Cam Feed Featuring Gio Reyna and Alphonso Davies
- ESPN+ and Bundesliga to host a special “Der Klassiker” virtual watch party
ABC will broadcast its first-ever German Bundesliga match – FC Bayern München vs. Borussia Dortmund – on Saturday, March 6 at 12 p.m. ET as part of ESPN’s unprecedented English and Spanish-language coverage of German soccer’s latest “Der Klassiker” rivalry game. In addition to ABC, the Bayern-Dortmund match from Allianz Arena in Munich will stream live on ESPN+, the U.S. home for Bundesliga matches, and will air live on ESPN Deportes.
FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund are the two most successful clubs in German soccer along with FC Bayern holding all six titles currently available to them including Club World Cup. They have combined to win the last 11 league titles, with FC Bayern – the 2020 UEFA Champions League champion – winning nine times, including the past eight seasons. Dortmund has won twice over the past decade-plus while finishing runner-up five times to FC Bayern. The recent success of both clubs has catapulted “Der Klassiker” (known as the German Clasico) to one of global football’s top rivalries.
Led by Poland forward Robert Lewandowski – the 2020 FIFA Player of the Year – and Canadian midfielder Alphonso Davies (Lou Marsh Trophy holder), FC Bayern currently sits atop the Bundesliga standings. Dortmund features Norwegian forward Erling Haaland and American teenage soccer sensation Giovanni Reyna.
Star Cam Feed – Gio Reyna and Alphonso Davies
Surround coverage of Der Klassiker will include Star Cam feed, a live stream focused solely on in-game action of the two North American stars – Dortmund’s Gio Reyna (USA) and FC Bayern’s Alphonso Davies (Canada) – in the match. Sebastian Salazar and Herculez Gomez will handle commentary on the feed, available exclusively on ESPN+.
Der Klassiker Match Commentators
- ABC: Derek Rae (play-by-play), analyst Taylor Twellman
- ESPN Deportes: Fernando Palomo (play-by-play), analyst Mario Kempes
- ESPN+ English/Spanish: Rae and Twellman; Palomo and Kempes
- Star Cam: Sebastian Salazar and Herculez Gomez
- Studio Coverage: English – Kay Murray (host), Juergen Klinsmann and Jan Aage Fjortoft (analysts), and Archie Rhind-Tutt (on-site reporter).
Der Klassiker Coverage Schedule:
| Time (ET) | Program | Platforms |
| 11 a.m. | Futbol Center | ESPN Deportes |
| 12 p.m. | SportsCenter
Anchors Jay Harris and Hannah Storm |
ABC |
| 12 p.m. | ESPN FC – Der Klassiker Pregame Special
Kay Murray (host), Juergen Klinsmann, Jan Aage Fjortoft and Archie Rhind-Tutt (on-site reporter) |
ESPN+ |
| 12:30 p.m. | FC Bayern München vs. Borussia Dortmund
English: Derek Rae and Taylor Twellman Spanish: Fernando Palomo and Mario Kempes |
ABC, ESPN+,
ESPN Deportes (12:15 p.m.) |
| 2:30 p.m. | ESPN FC – Der Klassiker Postgame | ESPN+ |
| 2:30 p.m. | ESPN Deportes SportsCenter – Postgame Special
Palomo and Kempes (segments) |
ESPN Deportes/Facebook |
Surround programming
- Der Klassiker Pregame: ABC’s coverage will begin at 12 noon
- ESPN FC: Kay Murray will host a 30-minute pregame show with analysts Juergen Klinsmann and Jan Aage Fjortoft. Archie Rhind-Tutt will report from Munich. Throughout the week, ESPN FC will feature segments on Der Klassiker, available exclusively on ESPN+ (weekdays, 8 p.m.)
- ESPN Deportes: Futbol Center pregame at 11 a.m. will kick off daytime coverage of Der Klassiker through postgame edition of SportsCenter.
ESPN.com/soccer’s Der Klassiker Content
- Tale of the tape matchup preview by reporters Tom Hamilton and Stephan Uersfeld
- Hamilton profiles Bayern’s 26-year-old midfield maestro Joshua Kimmich
- Post-match reaction and analysis from an ESPN global soccer correspondent
- Video content will include match highlights and quick-turn analysis by ESPN FC.
Der Klassiker: A Rivalry like no Other – Exclusive on ESPN+
While proximity or socio-political divisions fuel most soccer rivalries, Der Klassiker is driven by FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund’s recent history as two of the most successful clubs in Germany and Europe.
Narrated by ESPN’s lead Bundesliga commentator Derek Rae, Der Klassiker: A Rivalry like no Other takes viewers on a journey from the 1960s when the Bundesliga was founded in Dortmund until today. In addition, the documentary explores some of the most defining matches of the rivalry in the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. The program will be available to stream on ESPN+ leading up to Der Klassiker match day.
ESPN+ and Bundesliga Host Virtual Watch Party
For the second time this season, ESPN+ and Bundesliga are teaming up to host a virtual watch party for the highly-anticipated Der Klassiker match between FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund, streaming live in the United States on ESPN+. Hosted via OnLocationLive by ESPN’s Mauricio Pedroza and Vanessa Huppenkothen, the watch party will include interviews with Bundesliga soccer legends Roy Makaay (FC Bayern München) and Kalle-Heinz Riedle (Borussia Dortmund).
ESPN+ and Bundesliga also hosted a watch party for U.S. fans for the first Der Klassiker of the season – a 3-2 Bayern victory in Dortmund on Nov. 7, 2020.
Fans in the U.S. can attend the watch party for free here (scheduled to start at 12 p.m. ET on March 6). In addition to featuring legends conversations, both clubs and Bundesliga will have surprises in store for fans throughout the match.
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