Polish terrestrial and satellite broadcaster, Polsat, has successfully acquired the rights to broadcast European soccer’s UEFA Europa League and Conference League matches for the next three seasons. This move is seen as a strategic pivot by Polsat after losing out on the UEFA Champions League rights.
From 2024-27, Polsat will provide live coverage of 189 Europa League matches and 153 Conference League games each season. These matches will be available on its linear TV channel as well as its streaming service. The deal was agreed upon with Team Marketing, UEFA’s partner agency responsible for media and commercial rights sales across its club competitions.
Previously, these broadcasting rights were held by Viaplay, a European sports media heavyweight during the 2021-22 to 2023-24 cycle in Poland. However, following a tender issued in January with a deadline set for February 27th, Polsat emerged victorious.
The impact of losing Champions League rights
In an interesting turn of events during the last rights cycle, Canal Plus - another pay-TV giant - snapped up the UEFA Champions League matches rights for the next three-year period in March. This led to Polsat pivoting towards securing UEFA’s second and third-tier club competitions instead.
Marian Kmita, TV Sports Director at Polsat believes this shift will offer more opportunities to cover Polish teams such as Legia Warsaw who represented Poland in last season's Conference league.
Marian Kmita, TV Sports Director at Polsat, said:
“It is in the Europa League or the Conference League that we have a chance to see Polish teams, which in 31 years have unfortunately only made it to the Champions League three times.
“Our competition will be a chance to see both Polish teams and European giants, such as Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea, AS Roma, or FC Porto.”
New format for club competitions have changed dynamics
UEFA's club competitions are set to operate under a new format from next season onwards. Both Conference Leagues and Europa League matches are expected to increase their size with match totals rising from 282 games per year up to an impressive total of 342 games per year.
The new structure introduces a 'league stage' where each team plays eight matches in a total league table of 36 teams. This is a departure from the current system where eight groups of four teams play each other. Additionally, two clubs will be allowed to enter each year’s edition based on the historical performance of each country’s teams.
