The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has recently acquired free-to-air (FTA) media rights for the UEFA Women’s Champions League matches, marking a significant development in sports broadcasting. This agreement, which extends until 2030, will see 26 EBU members broadcasting the competition across 24 territories.
The group of broadcasters includes notable names such as Austria’s ORF, Germany’s ZDF, Netherlands’ NOS, Norway’s NRK and TV2, Portugal’s RTP, Spain’s RTVE and Switzerland's SRG SSR. The contract covers television, digital and radio coverage for all these broadcasters.
Under the terms of this agreement, certain EBU members have been selected to broadcast one fixture per match week, in addition to games that feature clubs from their own territories. Furthermore, it is a commitment from all EBU broadcasters to air one semi-final and the final of each campaign. To supplement this coverage, the EBU's free-to-air streaming platform, Eurovision Sport, will provide additional content including weekly highlights for selected territories.
This deal is set to significantly increase visibility and accessibility of UWCL matches over the next five seasons.
Continuation of collaboration
This latest development marks another collaboration between UEFA and EBU. Previously in 2025 UEFA Women's European Championship was broadcasted by thirty-seven EBU members after a collective deal was reached with Europe's soccer governing body.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, co-managing director of UC3, said:
“We are delighted to join forces with the European Broadcasting Union to bring the Uefa Women’s Champions League to free-to-air audiences over the next five years. This partnership reflects UC3’s commitment to making top-tier women’s football accessible to all, and we’re excited to showcase the passion, talent, and drama of the competition as it embarks on a new phase of growth.”
Moreover, this pact comes on heels of Disney+ being announced as pan-European broadcaster for UWCL over next five years. Disney+ plans to broadcast all 75 UWCL games at no extra charge to its customers thereby replacing DAZN as lead broadcaster in Europe while CBS has secured US rights for tournament.
New format & brand identity
From the 2025/26 campaign onwards, UWCL is set to adopt a new format with an 18-club league phase being introduced. This change was announced last month by UEFA, along with unveiling of a new brand identity for the tournament to complement its new structure.
The league phase for UWCL is scheduled to begin on 7th October, while the first qualifying round for competition commences on 30th July.
This EBU deal represents a significant step forward in promoting women's football and making it more accessible to fans across Europe. With increased coverage and visibility, the UWCL is poised for growth and greater fan engagement over the next five seasons.
