The sale of broadcasting rights for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League will take place taking into account new changes aimed at attracting streaming services. The interest in participating in the upcoming tender is shown by Netflix, which plans to buy the global rights to show one match in each round of the most prestigious European Cup. The decision of the streaming giant to take part in the tender will contribute to the strengthening of competition between traditional TV channels and online services. The organizers of the tender also intend to involve Apple TV (USA) and DAZN (UK). The latter, in particular, provided free broadcasts of the Club World Cup last summer.
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin expressed confidence that the changes to the rights sale scheme will increase the commercial attractiveness of European cups. “We are making soccer innovative and accessible. Working to expand our main sources of revenue to inspire fans around the world, to attract new audiences, especially in the face of ever-changing media and broadcast rights legislation. We are committed to making the game more accessible to everyone than ever before, and digital platforms will be an essential support,” the UEFA head emphasized.
According to The Times, UEFA plans to earn at least €5 billion a year from the sale of rights. For comparison: the current rights, sold in 2024, annually bring UEFA about € 3.3 billion a year. Accordingly, the organization’s revenues will increase by more than 50%.
The tender process to determine the rights holders will begin by the end of the month. The new contracts will last for six years – twice as long as the current ones. UEFA and European Football Clubs are organizing the sale of rights, while the American agency Relevent Sports will carry out the technical part of the bidding.
