Champions League matches are set to be broadcast on a new channel in the UK from 2027 with Paramount+ having reportedly scooped the majority of rights with a record breaking offer.
According to the Guardian, the US giants Paramount made the largest bid in an auction for the 2027 to 2031 rights.
Paramount’s bid was reportedly considerably higher than the £1billion currently paid by TNT Sports.
Amazon Prime are expected to retain their existing rights to have the first pick of the Tuesday evening Champions League matches.
TNT Sports – formerly BT Sport – has been the main UK broadcaster of the Champions League since the 2015-16 season.
The broadcaster had replaced Sky and ITV in a major shake-up after winning the rights in 2013, but is now set to be replaced.
Paramount, the owner of Paramount+ and CBS Sports, currently hold the rights for Champions League matches in the United States.
Coverage on CBS has proved widely popular, with presenter Kate Abdo and pundits Jamie Carragher, Thierry Henry and Micah Richards forming an established line-up on the network.
A move to Paramount would lead to viewers being required to pay to watch matches on another network.
Sky Sports has the majority of Premier League rights, with TNT also showing matches and having rights to the FA Cup.
Currently, the gross revenue of all UEFA’s men’s competitions is around £3.84bn.
In February, US firm Relevent were brought in to become the worldwide marketing sales partner for UC3 – the joint venture between UEFA and the European Football Clubs (EFC).
They were been tasked with overseeing deals from 2027-28 to 2032-33.
The move marked the end of UEFA’s 30-year relationship with TEAM Marketing, a Swiss-based agency credited with helping the Champions League become a global powerhouse.
