Netflix to bid on a package of global UEFA Champions League rights
Netflix to bid on a package of global UEFA Champions League rights
A new report indicates Netflix will try to get its hands on a limited number of Champions League matches.
It was just Wednesday that Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters stressed the continued need for discipline in the pursuit of live sports rights. It appears its next attempt to land a top sporting league will fit in with that desire; according to a new report, Netflix is expected to make a bid on a package of UEFA Champions League games to present to global audiences.
Key Details:
- Not the whole thing: Netflix will likely bid on a relatively small package of Champions League rights.
- Recent evolution: UEFA announced just days ago that it was changing the way it packages its rights, specifically to attract streamers like Netflix.
- Not in the USA: In the U.S., Paramount owns exclusive broadcast rights to the Champions League.
According to reporting from The Times, Netflix is likely to make an offer for a package of rights that will allow it to stream one match per round of the UEFA Champions League tournament each year. It could have stiff competition from other major media companies like Amazon or Apple, however.
Whichever team wins the global rights package would have first pick of Tuesday games during the Champions League season, but would also be limited in the number of matches featuring one particular team. UEFA recently overhauled the way it packages global rights to the Champions League tournament specifically to attract streamers like Netflix, and it appears the move has had the intended effect.
Getting a package of UEFA Champions League games would be another major soccer acquisition for Netflix, which already has one splashy soccer property to its name. The streamer holds the rights to stream the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cups, and adding UEFA Champions League matches to those rights would give Netflix an impressive, burgeoning collection of top football games.
It’s not clear yet exactly which countries Netflix would be able to broadcast games in if it did win this package of rights, but the United States won’t be among them. Paramount Skydance is the exclusive owner of UEFA Champions League rights in the United States, and every match streams on Paramount+. The deal between Paramount and UEFA runs through 2030.
Netflix certainly has the capital to pay whatever it wants for UEFA rights, though its disciplined approach may see it outbid by another company in the end. That would certainly be desirable in UEFA’s eyes, but if Netflix were to walk away victorious, the reach it can offer the governing body of European soccer would be tantalizing indeed.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”
