Netflix Prepares Major Play for Champions League Broadcasting Rights
Netflix has emerged as a potential contender for Champions League broadcasting rights, as UEFA, European football's governing body, revamps its television deal distribution strategy.
Live sports content is becoming increasingly attractive to streaming services.
Amazon Prime Video has been broadcasting one live Champions League fixture per matchday in the UK during recent campaigns, while Apple TV+ maintains worldwide exclusive rights to Major League Soccer.
Additionally, this week saw the debut of live Women's Champions League programming on Disney+ throughout Europe, with the service also featuring one live La Liga game every weekend.
While Netflix currently doesn't broadcast any live football matches, the platform has obtained U.S. television rights for the Women's World Cup for 2027 and 2031. The NFL was prominently featured on Netflix during last Christmas, with live boxing content included in their programming when Jake Paul faced Mike Tyson, plus a massive $5 billion agreement with WWE extending through 2035, venturing into sports entertainment territory.
The Times reports that UEFA is modifying its broadcasting tender process to make it more attractive to streaming services, with Netflix particularly being approached to assess their interest level.
The arrangement would involve one match weekly from Tuesday's selections, with first choice among available fixtures. Nevertheless, restrictions would prevent the winning broadcaster from consistently selecting matches featuring the same team—whether Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, or any other club.
This broadcasting rights period would commence with the 2027–28 campaign, with UEFA aiming to increase revenue from the current $4.4 billion to $5 billion or beyond. Such revenue growth would directly benefit participating clubs, making qualification for the world's premier club tournament even more financially rewarding.
For an appropriate agreement, a six-year contract could be explored instead of the standard three-year term, mirroring the extended deal with CBS for American rights that began in 2024 and continues until 2030.