Key Takeaways
- Disney+ will show live men’s Champions League matches for the first time starting from the 2027-28 season.
- The streaming service won bidding rights across 19 markets including Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
- UEFA expects to earn more than €5 billion per year from television rights alone.
Disney+ has won the rights to show live men’s Champions League football for the first time. The American streaming service was the winning bidder in several European nations during a recent auction.
The deal covers the 2027-2031 season cycle. It includes 19 television markets across Europe and the Americas. These include Sweden, Poland, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The rights also cover Brazil, Canada, Mexico and parts of Central and South America.
This marks a big change in sports broadcasting. It shows that streaming platforms now compete directly with traditional TV channels for major football rights. Disney has never held rights for the men’s Champions League before.
UC3 organised the auction. This company is a joint venture between UEFA and the European Football Clubs. Last year, UC3 hired Relevent Football Partners to manage the sales. This ended a 30-year relationship with the Swiss agency Team.
Rights values have grown significantly. The five biggest European markets saw price increases of 20 to 30 per cent in last year’s auction. Other streaming companies have also bought rights recently. Paramount+ won the UK and Germany rights in November last year.
The results show strong global demand for football content. UEFA believes total TV rights value will exceed €5 billion (£4.3 billion) each year. The governing body also expects over €1 billion yearly from commercial deals and sponsorships.
Disney already shows other UEFA competitions. The company holds pan-European rights for the women’s Champions League until 2030. It also broadcasts the Europa League and Conference League in Sweden and Denmark.
Officials from UEFA, UC3 and Relevent declined to comment on the specific details of the agreement.