“They should allow themselves to do that in football.”
Handball boss shoots against ARD and ZDF
November 26, 2025 – 8:46 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Before the start of the home World Cup for German handball players, the DHB President took aim at the public broadcasters. He expressed harsh criticism.
DHB President Andreas Michelmann heavily criticized the public television stations ARD and ZDF at the start of the home World Cup for German handball players. “Honestly, I think it’s a shame,” the 66-year-old told Bild: “Our women don’t deserve that. The fact that ARD isn’t capable and that you can’t see the World Cup better with the second eye on ZDF is simply a shame.”
The tournament in Germany and the Netherlands will be broadcast on the paid streaming service Sporteurope.TV. Only a possible quarter-final should be shown on ZDF, a semi-final and final with German participation on Erste. Michelmann can’t understand that: “ARD and ZDF immediately turn the issue of equality into its opposite. The viewers don’t see any of our women’s games in the preliminary round or any games in the main round; the two broadcasters only want to get involved in the quarter-finals.”
This infuriates Michelmann. “That’s just bad and makes me really angry,” said the President of the German Handball Association (DHB): “They should allow themselves to do that in football, only starting broadcasting for women in the quarter-finals. I don’t want to know what will happen then.”
Michelmann spoke of a “monoculture”. He does not accept the excuse that another broadcaster was quicker in allocating the rights. “ARD and ZDF could have had the World Cup really cheaply with their rights marketer, but they were simply in a deep sleep when the rights were awarded, that still makes me angry,” said Michelmann. “A unique opportunity was lost” at the home Women’s World Cup.