In recent weeks, discussions about the future of the Champions League have noticeably intensified. Leading European football organizations are holding closed-door meetings to determine the tournament’s further development. Amid this, reports have emerged about Netflix possibly joining the competition for broadcasting rights to the matches.
According to British media, Netflix management is considering submitting a bid to acquire the rights to broadcast one match from each round of the prestigious European tournament. This move could be a continuation of the strategy already pursued by Amazon Prime and Apple TV. These platforms have successfully broadcast select football matches in the UK, Germany, and Italy, and also hold rights to other major sporting events.
The shift to streaming services allows fans to watch football without needing contracts with telecommunications companies. This approach is being discussed in football circles as a possible way forward for sustainable industry growth. Representatives of UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA) emphasize the importance of reaching new audiences and expanding content distribution channels.
Until recently, Netflix showed little interest in live sports broadcasts. However, in recent years the company has experimented with streaming tennis tournaments and combat sports, receiving positive feedback from subscribers. Particular attention was drawn by the broadcast of the fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, which was viewed more than 65 million times.
Experts note that UEFA aims to increase the value of broadcasting rights for European competitions by around 10 percent, which would raise annual revenue to 5 billion euros. This will result in higher payouts to clubs participating in the tournament. The strong interest in the new formats is attributed to the successful restructuring of the competition, which is boosting both revenues and the popularity of football across the continent.
UEFA and ECA leadership continue to explore opportunities for attracting new partners and implementing innovative solutions to expand their audience. In the coming years, the sports broadcasting market could undergo significant changes if major streaming services begin competing actively for the rights to broadcast key matches.
