DAZN, Canal+ win UEFA Champions League rights across Europe

UEFA Hits €5 Billion Revenue Milestone With New TV Deals

European football’s governing body is closing in on a new financial high-water mark as a wave of broadcasting rights deals across roughly 20 countries pushes UEFA’s annual revenue past the €5 billion threshold for its men’s club competitions.

The latest agreements, announced this week by broadcasters including DAZN and Canal+, cover the four-season cycle from 2027-28 to 2030-31 and span markets across Europe and the Americas. The deals follow a tender launched in March by UEFA and its US-based sales agency Relevent in 19 territories, including Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, and several other European and South American markets.sportcal

A Continent-Wide Rights Reshuffle

Results from the tender process have arrived in quick succession. DAZN secured the main Champions League package in Austria, showing 186 live matches per season, while Sky Österreich retained a first-pick Tuesday package. Canal+ expanded its European footprint by acquiring exclusive rights to all UEFA men’s club competitions in Belgium, renewing Champions League rights in Poland, and picking up Europa League and Conference League coverage in Austria and Switzerland. Disney+ also entered the Belgian market with a separate deal for UEFA club competitions.broadbandtvnews

These agreements build on deals concluded late last year in UEFA’s five largest markets. In Spain, Telefónica signed a contract worth €1.46 billion per season for four years. In France, Canal+ renewed exclusive rights to all three UEFA club competitions through 2031. In the UK, Paramount emerged as a major new player, while Amazon retained select Champions League packages in Germany, Italy, and the UK. Across those five markets alone, Relevent secured broadcast deals worth a combined $11.3 billion from 2027 to 2031, a roughly 20 percent increase over the previous cycle.reuters

Revenue Growth on Multiple Fronts

Broadcasting rights account for the bulk of UEFA’s income, projected at €4.1 billion out of a total €5.052 billion budget for the 2026-27 season, according to figures reported by Mundo Deportivo citing the trade publication Palco23. Commercial agreements contribute an additional €811 million.mundodeportivo

Sponsorship revenue is also surging. UEFA’s joint venture with the European Club Association, known as UC3, is finalizing deals that would push commercial income past €1.1 billion, according to The Guardian as reported by AS. AB InBev, PepsiCo, and Nike are among the partners locked into long-term agreements, representing an estimated 40 percent increase in sponsorship income for the next cycle.as

Format Changes Fuel Demand

The revamped Champions League format, which expanded the group stage into a 36-team league phase with more matches between elite clubs, has been central to driving commercial interest. Prize money for the 2026-27 Champions League is set at €2.487 billion, with €571 million allocated to the Europa League and €522 million to the Conference League.mundodeportivo

Rights for the US market, where CBS holds English-language Champions League coverage through 2029-30, were not part of the latest tender round.worldsoccertalk