COLOGNE (dpa-AFX) - RTL does not want to apply to Telekom for TV rights to the Basketball World Cup in Asia. The broadcaster has "decided not to broadcast individual basketball games this summer," an RTL spokesman said Friday in response to a dpa inquiry. "We are concentrating in September on the much-awaited start of the NFL season and our extensive soccer rights."

Most recently, in view of the ratings success at last year's home European Championships and the good World Cup performance of the German team, there have been repeated rumors about the TV channel getting involved in live coverage again. In 2022, RTL had acquired sublicenses from Telekom for three matches during the tournament and thus achieved good TV ratings.

Telekom subsidiary MagentaSport will broadcast the German World Cup matches free of charge and the other World Cup matches for a fee. Telekom did not want to comment on Friday./mrs/DP/men