UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Amazon has added a major piece to its U.K. sports rights portfolio. The global tech giant and BT Sport have acquired U.K. rights to the UEFA Champions League.
- Broadcasters will share coverage privileges for three seasons, starting from the 2024-25 season.
- The deal will also include secondary UEFA competitions such as the Europa League and Europa Conference League.
- The contract may be worth $1.8 billion, a 20% lift from the current three-year cycle. BT will pay $368 million annually.
Amazon will have the first pick of matches on a Tuesday night through to the semi-finals, with BT retaining the rest of the rights to the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
Amazon has been an aggressive spender on the most popular sports leagues within the countries it operates to grow its Prime Video subscriber numbers.
The company currently holds U.K. rights to the Premier League, along with Sky Sports and BT Sport. Last year it added domestic rights to Ligue 1and Ligue 2.
Amazon is also one of the final bidders for NFL Sunday Ticket, competing against Disney and Apple, which it could combine with the exclusive rights it already holds to “Thursday Night Football.” The NFL is reported to be seeking $2.5 billion to $3 billion annually for Sunday Ticket.