Paramount Skydance Secures Champions League Rights In The UK From 2027-31

‎US media and entertainment powerhouse Paramount Skydance has won the auction for the rights to broadcast the majority of Champions League matches in the UK from 2027 to 2031.

‎The deal marks a major shake-up in the domestic football rights market and emphasizes the growing interest of American media companies in European football.

‎A Successful Bid for UEFA’s Revamped Champions League

‎Paramount, whose streaming service Paramount+ already holds Champions League rights in the United States, emerged as the highest bidder in this week’s auction.

‎While official announcements are expected soon, sources confirm that the company’s offer was significantly higher than the £1 billion currently paid by TNT Sports, the incumbent broadcaster.

‎This result is being celebrated as a success for UC3, the joint venture between UEFA and European football clubs that manages the Champions League, alongside its new commercial rights distributor, Relevent Football Partners.

‎The auction comes as part of UEFA’s first tender under Relevent Football Partners, which replaced the organization’s previous sales partner, Team Marketing, last year.

‎The new system introduces a pan-European streaming package, extends the rights cycle to four years, and has set a precedent for increased revenues from Champions League broadcast rights.

‎Amazon Prime Retains Select Tuesday Matches

‎While Paramount Skydance will broadcast every Champions League match live in the UK, the first pick of Tuesday night matches auctioned separately for the five major European markets will remain with Amazon Prime. The streaming giant has successfully outbid competitors, including Netflix and Disney+, to retain this privilege, which comes with limits on how frequently each club can be featured.

‎The arrangement mirrors deals across Germany and Italy, ensuring Amazon’s presence in key European markets.

‎Elsewhere in Europe, Canal+ will continue to broadcast all Champions League fixtures in France.

‎Meanwhile, the tender process in Spain remains ongoing, with Paramount competing against Movistar, signaling the company’s determination to break further into the European football market ahead of the 2026 World CCu

‎Paramount Skydance’s Ambitious European Expansion

‎The win aligns with Paramount Skydance’s broader ambitions to expand its footprint in Europe. The company, led by David Ellison, son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, a known ally of Donald Trump, is reported to be preparing a $71 billion bid for Warner Bros Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports.

‎If successful, this could further consolidate Paramount’s influence over European football broadcasting and potentially reshape the competitive landscape.

‎Financial Implications and UEFA’s Confidence

‎With the values of the winning bids, UEFA is expected to secure a significant increase on the current £2.9 billion-a-year TV rights value from the 2024–2027 cycle.

‎The governing body sees the revamped Champions League format with its 36-team single-table league stage as a major driver of revenue growth, and the record-breaking deals provide early validation for the remodelled competition.