Netflix eyes global Champions League rights from 2027
Netflix plans to bid for global broadcasting rights to stream a Champions League match as part of a major overhaul of UEFA's broadcasting contracts, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.
The umbrella organization of European football believes the new rights sales model will bring in at least five billion euros per year.
UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA) are changing the way television rights are sold for the Champions League and other European club competitions, with changes coming into effect from the 2027/28 season.
The biggest change is designed to attract global streaming platforms, and Netflix has already been approached to assess its interest, English media report.
The platform that secures global rights would have first pick of matches on Tuesdays. However, there would be a limit on the number of games a team can be shown, which means, for example, they would not be able to select Real Madrid for every match.
Netflix has not had a significant presence in the sports rights market until now. They have streamed an NFL Christmas Day game and a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. Netflix has also secured U.S. rights for the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups.
The sale of UEFA rights for other Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League matches will allow broadcasters to bid for multiple markets at once.
For example, Discovery/TNT Sports or Sky may compete for remaining matches in the five major markets: United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France. The rights are sold on behalf of UEFA by the U.S. marketing agency Relevent.
Amazon already broadcasts one Champions League match per round in the UK, Germany, and Italy, Apple holds global rights for Major League Soccer, while Disney is also considering entering the live sports market.
It is reported that UEFA’s annual revenue from club competitions is expected to increase by 10 percent, from €4.4 billion currently to €5 billion, or possibly even more. In comparison, the annual revenue from Premier League TV rights is around €4.2 billion, reports KosovaPress.
