Video streaming giant Netflix is set to gain exclusive rights to stream UEFA Champions League matches starting from the 2027 season. This comes as the football body prepares for a revamp of the world’s famous competition’s broadcast rights.
According to independent reports, UC3, the joint venture of UEFA and the European Football Clubs (EFC), is preparing to launch its first media rights tender on October 13 for the 2027-2033 cycle. Streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon and Apple are set to benefit from this deal.
In addition, the tender will include a “global first-pick” option allowing a single broadcaster to secure exclusive worldwide rights to one Champions League match per round. The package is expected to generate around $5.9 billion for UEFA.
UEFA Champions League (IM: UEFA)
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The offerings will be the first rights cycle conducted by American agency Relevent, which replaced UEFA’s long-term global sales partner, TEAM Marketing, in 2024. In the deal, UC3 wants to rake in revenue in terms of annual media income from the continent’s club competitions and providing broadcasting rights to Netflix and other platforms is a top strategy.
UEFA ended its 34-year relationship with Swiss-based TEAM Marketing and confirmed a deal with Relevent in March. In 2022, Relevent handled a six-year, $1.5billion deal for the Champions League rights in the U.S. with Paramount.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin explained that the joint venture is making use of digital platforms that bring the game closer to fans. He added that the plan will make the game grow, and it has the strongest team to make it happen.
“Together we are building something unique, with real 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,” he added.
For UEFA’s current media partners, the new plan isn’t coming as a termination of the relationship. Relevent will be inviting them to bid for broadcasting rights in more than one market. Also, they will bid for longer terms than the three-year deals that have been standard in Europe for decades.
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Netflix is bagging out big, yet again
Netflix will be looking to make a statement and expand its video streaming offerings for its users. To achieve that end, the UEFA Champions League is a big leap.
The incoming Champions League streaming arrangement marks another step in the fast-changing sports media industry. Also, UEFA already has experience with streaming-only partners. Amazon currently broadcasts one Champions League match per round in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy.
However, Netflix is not new to the game of streaming live events. The platform’s early ventures into live sports have shown promise as the company streamed an NFL game on Christmas Day and drew strong viewership for the Mike Tyson–Jake Paul bout. It also holds exclusive rights to the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups.
The new development gives Netflix an opportunity to compete for more subscribers. The media right means that fans would now need to add another streaming platform or broadcaster subscription to watch some matches.
Netflix
In addition, a potential win for Netflix might be its subscriber base. For this, bringing Netflix to the table would be positive for Relevent, though football streaming platform DAZN or Amazon are potential targets.
DAZN already bought the global streaming rights to the first two editions of the Club World Cup. Also, Amazon Prime Video is already streaming one Champions League game a week in Germany, Italy, the UK and Ireland.
Other competitors like YouTube and Disney also exist. YouTube streamed an opening-week NFL game exclusively earlier this season. Disney struck a deal to screen every game of the Women’s Champions League in a first for that platform earlier this year, in an agreement with the competition through to the 2029-30 campaign.
