Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Champions League, Match Of The Day, UEFA
Ryan Smart
Fans are just realising that the Champions League will shown by new broadcasters next season as part of the competition's upcoming TV rights deal.
Since TNT Sports (then BT Sport) won the rights back in 2015, every Champions League fixture has been shown exclusively live by the broadcaster.
The rights were first held by ITV, who won the exclusive contract in 1992 and continued to show live fixtures on its main platform and the ill-fated ITV Digital service until 2015.
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Sky Sports also held rights between 2003 and 2015, but BT won exclusive rights to all live fixtures and highlights in 2018.
Since its rebrand to TNT Sports, the broadcaster has continued to hold an exclusive contract to host Champions League matches.
But that will change from the 2024/25 season, with two more broadcasters securing rights to show coverage of the competition.
Amazon Prime Video will show 17 first-pick Champions League matches on Tuesday night, in what will be their first-ever season of providing live coverage of the competition.
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And, in significant news for terrestrial TV viewers, BBC will show highlights of the competition with a special Wednesday edition of Match of the Day - the first time the Champions League will be shown by the broadcaster since 1994.
BBC previously had an association with the competition since the inaugural European Cup final in 1956, but ITV took over the rights after the 1994 final, which saw AC Milan beat Barcelona 4-0.
TNT Sports will still hold exclusive rights to show the Europa League and Europa Conference League.
The new rights deal will span between 2024 and 2027, meaning the trio of broadcasters will show at least the first three seasons of the Champions League in its brand-new format.
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The number of teams will be increased from 32 to 36 teams, while clubs will participate in a single group stage 'league', rather than the traditional group stage that is currently in use.