Major Change to Watching Champions League and it Could Include Netflix
Global streaming platforms may be set to bid for the rights to European football
Football fans could be in for a huge change in how they watch the Champions League, with Netflix expected to bid for the global broadcasting rights.
From the 2027-28 season, UEFA and the European Football Clubs organisation are set to overhaul the way they sell television rights for all European club competitions, including the Champions League.
The new model would allow streaming giants, such as Netflix, Disney and Amazon to buy exclusive rights to broadcast one Champions League game per round.
It would also be a significant financial boost for European football's governing body, with TV rights expected to generate around £4.3 billion each season.
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That would be a huge increase on the current deal, which brings in roughly £3.3 billion per year.
Streaming platforms have already increased their involvement within football broadcasting in recent years.
Amazon show a Champions League match in each round in several countries, including the UK, Germany and Italy.
Apple, meanwhile, hold the global rights to Major League Soccer.
But the new Champions League broadcasting deal could come at a cost for supporters, who may have to pay more subscription fees to watch all the matches.
Currently in the UK, TNT Sports shows the majority of European football games, but Amazon do show one game in each Champions League round.
Netflix's reported interest in securing Champions League rights is a sign of the company's growing interest in the sports market.
They have already shown an NFL match and last year, they streamed their first boxing fight when Mike Tyson faced Jake Paul.
The boxing event was a huge commercial success for Netflix, becoming the most-streamed sporting event in history, with 65 million viewers.
The responsibility for selling the rights will face upon the American sports marketing agency Relevent.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin spoke about the strong commercial position of European football, during the EFC General Assembly on Wednesday morning.
He said: “Through this joint venture, the game will grow. And with Relevent at our side, we have the strongest team to make it happen.
“Together we are building something unique, with ambition. To deliver the most engaging football, the most innovative, the most accessible.
“To expand our core revenue streams. To inspire new fans to follow our competitions, to drive engagement with new audiences, especially in an ever-changing media and streaming rights landscape.
"And to make the most of digital platforms, we’ll bring the game closer than ever to everyone.
“This is how we will strengthen our clubs and keep European football at the very top.”
Topics: Champions League, Football, UEFA, Football News
James Taylor