Former Premier League striker Vardy becomes Bundesliga broadcast host in Britain
Former England Premier League top scorer Jamie Vardy has taken over from Gary Neville to present Bundesliga Friday matches for British viewers on YouTube this season. Vardy's first broadcast comes tonight as Bayern Munich host Stuttgart in the season opener.
Germany's Bundesliga is continuing a practice it began last season, handing British broadcasting rights for its Friday matches not to traditional broadcasters but to YouTube content creators. Last season these rights went to The Overlap, a channel owned by former footballer Gary Neville, as well as That's Football, run by football fan Mark Goldbridge.
In April this year, Neville's company acquired the channels owned by Goldbridge. This season, Goldbridge will continue hosting Bundesliga Friday match broadcasts, but Neville has been replaced by former striker Jamie Vardy. The broadcasts remain available exclusively to viewers in Britain.
Vardy's first broadcast is scheduled for tonight, when the season-opening match sees Bayern Munich face Stuttgart.
Vardy's football career
The 39-year-old forward achieved his greatest success with Leicester City. In 2016, the club stunned the football world by winning the Premier League title, and five years later Leicester added the FA Cup to its trophy cabinet.
During the title-winning season, Vardy scored in 11 consecutive matches, setting a Premier League record, and finished the campaign with 24 goals. In the 2019/20 season, he scored 23 goals and finished as the Premier League's top scorer.
After Leicester City's relegation from the Premier League, Vardy joined Italian Serie A club Cremonese last year. He scored seven goals in 29 appearances, but the club was still relegated from the top division. Vardy is currently a free agent.
