Source:REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, UEFA is implementing major reforms to the Champions League broadcast rights tender process, hoping to attract streaming giants like Amazon and Netflix. The new tender process will target rights for the 2027 season and beyond and is set to launch in the coming weeks. The core measures of the reform are threefold. First, it will allow bidders to make “bundled bids” for rights in multiple markets simultaneously, changing the previous situation of market fragmentation caused by differing contract expiration dates. Second, UEFA is considering offering contract terms longer than the traditional three years, an idea encouraged by the success of the $1.5 billion US rights deal with Paramount until 2030, agreed upon in 2022. Finally, UEFA may even introduce a “global package,” allowing a single provider to broadcast matches worldwide for the first time. Furthermore, when evaluating bids, UEFA will no longer focus solely on the financial amount but will comprehensively consider the bidder’s reach and promotional support capabilities. Financially, UEFA’s men’s club competitions are projected to generate at least €4.4 billion ($5.2 billion) in total commercial revenue per season by 2027. Last season’s Champions League reforms already led to an 18% increase in broadcast revenue in six major markets, demonstrating its significant commercial potential.