The Polish division of the multinational pay-TV broadcaster, Canal Plus, has secured exclusive rights to broadcast Europe's prestigious UEFA Champions League continental club soccer competition for the upcoming cycle. This deal will allow Canal Plus Polska to exclusively air every match from each of the three Champions League seasons from 2024-27.
The multi-year agreement spans from the start of the 2024-25 season through to the end of the 2026-27 campaign. In addition to broadcasting all matches from each season, Canal Plus Polska will also air its youth category equivalent - UEFA Youth League matches and its annual pre-season exhibition match - UEFA Super Cup.
Canal’s three million-plus subscribers in Poland can look forward to watching these games on linear TV via Canal Plus and on its in-house OTT streaming service. The tender for these rights was launched in Poland on January 30th, with a bid deadline set for February 27th.
New UCL season will have new format and coefficient system
The 2024-25 edition of the UEFA Champions League group-stage will be unique as it introduces a new format and coefficient system. All three UEFA competitions - The Champions League, Europa League, and Conference league - will now feature a "league stage". Herein, each team plays eight matches within a total league table consisting of 36 teams. This is a significant shift away from their current system where eight groups comprising four teams play against one another.
Edyta Sadowska, president and general director of CANAL+ Polska, said:
“[Canal Plus has] been providing our viewers in Poland with access to the best sports events and unforgettable emotions. The [return of] UEFA Champions League is the best confirmation of this.”
Moreover, two clubs are permitted entry into each year's edition based on their country's historical performance.
Canal Plus will kick-off deal with Super Cup
This exciting deal commences with broadcasting rights for the 2024 UEFA Super Cup scheduled at Warsaw’s Stadion Narodowy on August 14th. This event features an exciting face-off between winners of both; The Champions league (2023-24) and Europa League (2023-24).
With this deal, Canal Plus extends its UEFA club competition rights to over 50 countries including France, Switzerland, Poland, and several French-speaking territories in sub-Saharan Africa. This adds to Canal's existing soccer rights in Poland where it already broadcasts the country’s domestic top-tier - PKO Ekstraklasa, England’s Premier League and Spain’s LaLiga.
Meanwhile, UEFA has initiated a tender process for media rights to its various club competitions in Ukraine earlier this week. This move by Canal Plus is a significant step towards expanding their sports broadcasting portfolio while providing Polish sports fans with access to one of the most prestigious football tournaments globally.
