Starting with the 2027 season, Netflix is poised to secure exclusive streaming rights for UEFA Champions League matches, marking a significant shift in the broadcasting landscape of this prestigious football tournament.
Reports indicate that UC3, the collaborative venture between UEFA and the European Football Clubs (EFC), is gearing up to initiate its inaugural media rights auction on October 13, covering the 2027-2033 period. Major streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon, and Apple are expected to be key beneficiaries of this upcoming deal.
This tender will introduce a “global first-pick” feature, enabling a single broadcaster to obtain exclusive worldwide rights to one Champions League fixture per round. UEFA anticipates that this package could generate approximately $5.9 billion in revenue.
This marks the first media rights cycle managed by the American agency Relevent, which took over from UEFA’s longtime global sales partner, TEAM Marketing, in 2024. UC3’s strategy focuses on maximizing annual media revenue from European club competitions by partnering with streaming platforms like Netflix.
After ending a 34-year partnership with Swiss-based TEAM Marketing, UEFA confirmed its collaboration with Relevent in March. Notably, Relevent previously brokered a $1.5 billion, six-year Champions League rights deal in the U.S. with Paramount in 2022.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin emphasized that this joint venture leverages digital platforms to bring football closer to fans worldwide. He highlighted that this approach aims to grow the sport’s reach with a strong, innovative team behind the initiative.
“Together, we are crafting something exceptional, driven by ambition. Our goal is to deliver the most captivating, innovative, and accessible football experience, expand our core revenue streams, and attract new fans to our competitions,” Ceferin stated.
For UEFA’s existing media partners, this new approach does not signal an end to their involvement. Instead, Relevent plans to invite them to bid for broadcasting rights across multiple markets, with longer contract durations than the traditional three-year terms that have dominated Europe for decades.
Also Read: Netflix shares fall as U.S. subscribers cancel amid controversy over transgender-themed film.
Netflix’s Bold Move to Expand Its Streaming Portfolio
Netflix is aiming to make a significant impact by broadening its sports streaming content, and acquiring Champions League rights represents a major leap forward in this strategy.
This upcoming Champions League streaming deal reflects the rapidly evolving sports media environment. UEFA already has experience collaborating with streaming-only broadcasters; for instance, Amazon currently airs one Champions League match per round in the UK, Germany, and Italy.
Netflix, meanwhile, is no stranger to live sports streaming. The platform has previously streamed an NFL game on Christmas Day and attracted substantial viewership for the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight. Additionally, Netflix holds exclusive rights to the Women’s World Cup tournaments in 2027 and 2031.
Securing Champions League rights would provide Netflix with a valuable opportunity to attract new subscribers, as fans may need to subscribe to an additional platform to watch certain matches.
Netflix’s extensive subscriber base could be a decisive factor in this bidding process, making its involvement advantageous for Relevent. However, competitors like DAZN and Amazon remain strong contenders.
DAZN has already secured global streaming rights for the first two editions of the Club World Cup, while Amazon Prime Video broadcasts one Champions League match weekly in Germany, Italy, the UK, and Ireland.
Other players such as YouTube and Disney are also active in the sports streaming arena. YouTube exclusively streamed an NFL opening-week game earlier this season, and Disney secured rights to broadcast every match of the Women’s Champions League through the 2029-30 season, marking a first for the platform.
0 Comments