Following the Bundesliga from Austria: A fan's guide

The German Bundesliga is popular worldwide, and for most Austrians, the league doesn´t feel foreign. Broadcasts are on the same platform, the language is familiar, and the league is packed with familiar faces from the Austrian national team.  Whether you live in Vienna, Graz, or a village in Tyrol, following German football is part of the weekly routine for thousands of supporters. 
 

Why the Bundesliga feels like home

Austria has long been one of the best-represented nations in German football. In recent seasons, more than two dozen Austrians have been on Bundesliga squads, and almost every year a group of the national team has someone playing in Germany.

The most prominent example is Konrad Laimer. The Salzburg academy graduate has become a regular at Bayern Munich and in July 2026 extended his contract with the record champions until 2029. At RB Leipzig, Christoph Baumgartner is one of the creative forces in midfield, while Marcel Sabitzer has spent the best part of a decade as one of the league's most recognisable Austrian names.

The route is well-trodden. The Red Bull network in particular has turned the path from Salzburg to Leipzig into something of a motorway, and clubs across Germany scout the Austrian Bundesliga closely. For fans back home, that means almost every Bundesliga weekend has a domestic storyline, whether it is a debut, a goal or a national-team player fighting for his place.
 

Where to watch the Bundesliga in Austria

The good news for Austrian viewers is that the German rights packages for the 2025/26 to 2028/29 cycle also cover Austria. The bad news is the same as in Germany: one subscription will not get you every game.

• DAZN shows the famous Saturday afternoon Konferenz, the whip-around coverage of all simultaneous kick-offs, as well as the Sunday matches.
• Sky holds the individual matches on Friday and Saturday. Its rights apply across the German-speaking territories, including Austria.

If you mainly care about one club, check which slot it usually plays in before committing to a subscription. If you want everything, you will need both. Keep in mind that the Austrian Bundesliga is a separate deal altogether: Sky Österreich holds the domestic league rights until the 2029/30 season, so many fans juggle German and Austrian football on the same weekend.
 

Making the trip: Bundesliga stadiums within reach

Few foreign leagues are as easy to reach from Austria. Salzburg to Munich takes about two hours by train, making a day trip to the Allianz Arena perfectly realistic. Augsburg and the southern German clubs are similarly close, and fans in Vorarlberg are only a short drive from Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Even from Vienna, a direct train to Munich makes a weekend trip easy to plan.

A few practical tips:

• Buy through official channels. Clubs sell tickets via their own websites and official resale platforms. Unofficial resellers often charge inflated prices, and tickets can be canceled.
• Plan around fixture dates. The DFL confirms exact kick-off times only a few weeks in advance, so book flexible travel where possible.
• Pick the right game. Matches involving Austrian players often draw a noticeable contingent of red-white-red shirts, which adds to the atmosphere.
   

Fantasy football and prediction leagues

For many supporters, following the Bundesliga is not just about watching. The official Fantasy Bundesliga game lets you build a squad, manage a budget, and compete with friends or colleagues throughout the season. Having Austrian internationals in your team is an easy way to stay invested beyond your own club.

Prediction leagues, the classic Tippspiel, are just as popular. Offices, families, and groups of friends predict the score of every match, with points for the correct result or tendency. They cost nothing, keep you watching games you would otherwise skip, and spark plenty of Monday-morning debates.
 

Betting as part of matchday

For some fans, a bet on the weekend's fixtures is part of the matchday ritual, much like the pre-match beer or the Konferenz on the radio. Austria takes a distinctive approach here: sports betting is not classified as gambling under the federal Gambling Act (Glücksspielgesetz). Instead, bookmakers are regulated by the nine federal states, each with its own legislation and licensing.

In practice, that means the market is more open than in many other European countries, but standards can vary. It pays to choose an operator that is properly licensed and transparent about its terms. If you want an overview of which providers are available and how they compare on odds, betting markets, payment methods, and customer service, MyWettbonus keeps a regularly updated comparison of betting sites in Austria.
 

A league that keeps Austria watching

The Bundesliga's appeal in Austria is easy to explain: shared language, short distances and a steady stream of Austrian talent at Germany's biggest clubs. Whether you follow it from the sofa with DAZN and Sky, on a train to Munich or through a fantasy team and a prediction league with friends, there has rarely been a better time to be an Austrian fan of German football. As long as players like Laimer and Baumgartner keep starring in Germany, that connection is only going to grow.