Broadcasters can bid for more than one market at once from 2027/28 season
UEFA has reportedly adjusted its Champions League rights offer to allow bids for global rights.
According to The Times, broadcasters will now be allowed to make bids for rights in more than one market at the same time, which is designed to attract streamers such as Netflix, Apple, Prime Video and more. Prime Video currently shows one match-per-week in the UK, Germany and Italy - which it had to bid separately for in each territory.
In addition, broadcasters will be able to bid for terms between three and six years, rather than the usual three. These changes have come as part of the first cycle run by Relevent, after the US-based agency recently took over the process from Team.
Speaking at the European Football Clubs (previously European Clubs Association) annual assembly, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said the organisation will aim to, “drive engagement with new audiences especially in an ever-changing media and streaming rights landscape and to make the most of digital platforms and bring the game closer together for ever”. He concluded: “This is how we will keep European football at the very top.”
In addition to Prime Video’s longer running interest in sport, Netflix and Apple are among the streamers to have moved into the area in recent years. Netflix has shown a number of boxing events, as well as Christmas Day NFL, and has the US rights for the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups, while Apple TV+ has the global rights to Major League Soccer as well as showing Major League Baseball in a number of territories.
TNT Sports currently shows the majority of the Champions League in the UK, alongside Prime Video’s one match-per-week. Highlights are shown free-to-air through the BBC.
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