Champions League Rights Sale reveals Limited Fan Demand for Non-Domestic Football
LONDON – UEFA’s recent auction of Champions League broadcasting rights across Europe exposed a key market reality: fan appetite for international football is considerably constrained outside of the later stages of tournaments and domestic league prominence. Analysis of the sales, detailed by industry expert Julien Godard, indicates the “global pack” offering – encompassing rights to all matches - was hampered by limitations, including periods where english teams were not featured, impacting its overall value.
Godard explained, “The global pack was also full of constraints, which will have affected its value. In the UK,for example,there would have been many weeks when you couldn’t watch an English team - why would fans pay for that? There’s also little evidence of fans wanting to watch teams from outside their own countries,untill the quarter-finals at least.”
The auction saw Paramount secure rights in the UK, while a second round of bidding was triggered in four other markets due to increased competition following Paramount’s initial win.
In the UK,Sky Sports emerged as a major beneficiary. The broadcaster acquired rights to 342 European matches at a relatively low cost, capitalizing on the weakening of rival TNT Sports. The increasing participation of English clubs like Manchester United and Tottenham – who contested last year’s Europa League final – and Chelsea (winners of the Europa Conference League in 2024) alongside consistent representation from Celtic and Rangers, further enhances Sky’s offering.
Godard suggests Paramount’s entry will ultimately benefit Sky, forcing the new rights holder to make the Champions League available on the Sky platform. Paramount+ is currently offered free to Sky Cinema subscribers, with further bundling anticipated. “Paramount is already a slave to Sky,” Godard stated. “Without bundling there will be an even greater loss of viewers to piracy. TNT had the Champions League for 12 years [initially as BT Sport] and were just about breaking even, so it’s very tough for new entrants to the market. And the more fragmentation the better for Sky, as the other channels need to be on their platform.”
