European football chiefs are set to target global streaming giants in a bid for Champions League rights as they prepare to take the 2027-33 cycle to market next week. This move is part of an ambitious plan by UC3, a joint venture between UEFA and European Football Clubs (formerly known as the European Club Association), aiming to surpass the €5 billion (£4.3bn) mark in annual media income from Europe's club competitions.
The tender process will commence on October 13th in Europe’s five biggest markets — France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. This will be the first rights cycle managed by American agency Relevent, which replaced UEFA’s long-term global sales partner TEAM Marketing in 2024.
Relevent aims to entice Apple, Netflix or other major streaming platforms into buying exclusive global rights for at least one Champions League game per season. The strategy draws parallels with Netflix's Christmas Day NFL offering.
Inviting current media partners
In addition to targeting new entrants like Netflix and Apple, Relevent plans on inviting UEFA’s current media partners to bid for rights across multiple markets and longer terms than the standard three-year deals prevalent in Europe for decades. This change signifies a shift from the European Commission's insistence on short deals aimed at promoting regular competition — a policy often criticized by media companies due its expensive and risky nature.
While securing Netflix would be considered a significant achievement for Relevent, more attainable targets might include DAZN or Amazon. DAZN has previously purchased global streaming rights for two editions of Club World Cup while Amazon already streams one Champions League game weekly in Germany, Italy and UK.
Netflix has had success with exclusive broadcasts such as NFL games on Christmas Day along with high-profile events like Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul boxing match. It also holds exclusive broadcast rights in the United States for the 2027 and 2031 editions of the Women’s World Cup.
Streaming giants in sports broadcasting
Other streaming platforms have also made strides into sports broadcasting. YouTube streamed an opening week NFL game exclusively earlier this season, while Apple has a 10-year global rights deal with Major League Soccer. Amazon Prime Video currently holds rights to first-pick Champions League games in Germany, Italy and UK and Ireland.
Disney recently entered into an agreement to screen every game of the Women’s Champions League through to the 2029-30 campaign, marking a first for that platform. UEFA ended its 34-year relationship with Swiss-based TEAM Marketing and confirmed a deal with Relevent in March. Relevent brokered a six-year, $1.5 billion deal for Champions League rights in U.S. with Paramount back in 2022.
The move towards streaming giants represents a significant shift in UEFA's strategy as it seeks to maximize revenue from its flagship club competition while adapting to changing viewer habits.
