HEIL Bundesliga! Die Bundesliga? German football ranks a fair way down the conversation list of most Myanmar sports fans, though that could begin to change should a deal go through to show Germany’s top league twice a week on Myawady TV.

Yangon Entertainment, the company that for the past decade has been bringing England’s Premier League to Myanmar viewers free of charge each weekend, was last week on the verge of closing a deal to show Bundesliga matches in the same time slots.

Goodbye ref abuse and big-name drama, hello efficiency and steely determination.

U L. La Ming Ding, general manager of Yangon Entertainment’s parent group, the Grand Wynn Group of Companies, told The Myanmar Times a company representative was overseas last week handling the final phases of a deal that would see Bundesliga matches broadcast nationwide on Myawady TV each Saturday and Sunday night.

While the details are being kept under close wraps, including why there has been a shift away from the immensely popular English Premiership, The Myanmar Times understands German matches, with English commentary, should start screening by mid-October.

“We’ve nearly accomplished all the deals for Bundesliga transmissions to be shown through Myawady TV. It will be completely free and people will be able to watch matches live every Saturday and Sunday night for the whole season,” U L. La Ming Ding said.

“For the Sunday night shows, if the kick-off coincides with Myawady’s evening national news, transmissions will be delayed until a little later,” he added.

There was a mixed response from football fans spoken to by The Myanmar Times last week, who expressed regret that the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal would no longer be on free TV, as well as relief that at least some world-class football would be shown by Myawady.

England's Premiership remains by far the world's most popular competition, dwarfing all other leagues, but the decision to bring the sport back to a national broadcaster – in whatever form – is significant because 5 Sport, the pay-channel that was the biggest competitor for Myanmar Premiership viewers last season, is currently only available in Yangon in Mandalay. Myawady TV, meanwhile, reaches small towns across the country.

But fans were sceptical as to how successful the move to the Bundesliga will be.

“We were expecting to watch free English Premier League matches as usual from Myawady,” an editor at a local sports journal said bitterly.

“Italy’s Serie A and the Spanish La Liga are the second favourites for local fans. French, Russian or German Bundesliga matches are much less attractive here. I don’t think it will be as successful as the free Premier League matches in the past,” he said, requesting not to be named.

Another fan said the transition could be unpopular with viewers here because most are unfamiliar with German teams.

“More than 70 percent of football fans here support Manchester United hardcore. So the change to Bundesliga means millions of Man U fans here might not get to see the beautiful playing styles of the players we love. It is disappointing for us,” said the delivery worker in his mid 20s, himself a United supporter.

Bayern Munich currently lead the Bundesliga, having spent a fortune over the summer break building a “dream team” that includes some of the league’s biggest names, including Franck Ribery, Oliver Kahn, Lukas Podolski, Phillip Lam, Ze Roberto and Miroslav Klose.

Less well known are some of their rivals, with the table’s top spots filled by the likes of Vfl Bochum, Arminia Bielefeld and Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Bundesliga began on August 10 and is in its 45th season.