Paramount Skydance has reportedly won the auction for the rights to broadcast the majority of Champions League matches in the UK from 2027 – further fragmenting the domestic football TV landscape.
According to multiple reports, Paramount – whose subsidiary company Paramount+ already holds the rights for Champions League games in the US – made the largest bid for the rights, with an official announcement expected imminently. The bid is said to be well in excess of £1 billion. TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) has held the rights to the elite European football competition since 2016.
Additionally, Prime Video has secured the rights to broadcast top-pick UEFA Champions League football in the UK, Ireland, Germany and Italy for four seasons through to 2030/31.
Prime Video will continue to show the top-pick Tuesday match exclusively in the UK & co-exclusively in Ireland, as well as the top-pick Wednesday match exclusively in Germany and Italy. The Wednesday top-pick matches also include two games on consecutive evenings in the opening League Phase round and the pick of the games in the thrilling final League Phase round.
The four-year extension through to 2031 follows continued viewership success for European football on Prime Video. Prime Video’s debut season in the UK reached over 13 million viewers. Earlier this season, over 10 million viewers tuned-in to Prime Video across a single evening to watch Liverpool v Real Madrid in the UK and Ireland, and PSG v FC Bayern Munich in Germany, setting new League Phase viewership records.
“This is an important moment for our service and fantastic news for our Prime members in the UK, Ireland, Germany and Italy, securing the biggest games in European football through to 2031.” said Alex Green, MD Prime Video Sport, International. “The combination of must-watch matches and the wide audience of Prime is delivering record viewership of the Champions League across Europe, and we will continue to raise the bar in our coverage. The new four-year deal gives us long-term certainty and allows us to innovate even more deeply for fans, such as the introduction of Prime Vision this season.”
Prime Video first broadcast the UEFA Champions League in Germany & Italy in 2021, before adding the UK & Ireland in 2024.
The BBC is set to continue broadcasting Champions League highlights, whilst Europa League and Conference League football will return to Sky.
Meanwhile, in Spain, Telefónica has secured exclusive broadcasting rights to all UEFA club competitions for the 2027-2031 period in a deal worth €1.4 billion; in France, Canal+ has announced the renewal of 100 per cent of the exclusive rights to all UEFA club competitions for the four additional seasons; and in Italy, Sky has exclusive rights for 185 of 203 Champions League matches.
