UC3, which manages the commercial rights for UEFA club competitions, has confirmed the preferred bidders for media rights to UEFA men’s club competitions in 19 global territories.
The deals reportedly brought in a total of $910m (£670m), almost 40% up on a like-for-like basis on the 2024-27 cycle.
The news comes shortly after an initial announcement, which confirmed the rights bought by Canal+ and Disney+. Building on this news, UC3 has now revealed that a number of other bidders – including DAZN, ESPN, Paramount+, Sky, and Viaplay – were selected across multiple territories, alongside a wide range of market-specific broadcasters.
Spanning territories from Austria to Switzerland, the preferred bidders also include incumbent broadcasters, new market entrants, global digital platforms, as well as local pay and free-to-air channels.
The following preferred bidders were selected:
Austria
– Sky (UEFA Champions League [UCL] Tuesday first pick match, Tuesday highlights co–exclusively)
– DAZN (UCL Wednesday first pick match, all remaining matches, UCL Final co–exclusively, Tuesday and Wednesday highlights co–exclusively)
– Puls4 (UCL Final co–exclusively)
– Canal+ (all UEFA Europa League [UEL] and UEFA Conference League [UECL] rights)
Belgium
– Canal+ (all UEFA Men’s Club Competitions (UMCCs) rights)
Brazil
– Warner Bros Discovery (all UCL rights)
– ESPN linear networks and Disney+ (all UEL/UECL rights)
Canada
– Paramount+ (all UMCCs rights)
Central America
– Paramount+ (half of all UCL matches across all matchdays, with co–exclusive UCL Final and highlights)
– ESPN linear networks and Disney+ (Half of all UCL matches across all matchdays, with co–exclusive UCL Final, highlights and all UEL/UECL rights)
Denmark
– Viaplay (all UCL rights)
– Disney+ (all UEL/UECL rights)
Finland
– Nelonen (all UCL rights)
– Viaplay (all UEL/UECL rights)
Mexico
– Paramount+ (half of all UCL matches across all matchdays, with co–exclusive UCL Final and highlights)
– ESPN linear networks and Disney+ (half of all UCL matches across all matchdays, with co-exclusive UCL Final, highlights and all UEL/UECL rights)
Norway
– TV2 (all UCL rights)
– Viaplay (all UEL/UECL rights)
Poland
– Canal+ (all UCL rights)
– Polsat (all UEL/UECL rights)
Portugal
– Sport TV (UCL Tuesday and Wednesday first pick matches, highlights and UCL Final co–exclusively)
– Livemode (UCL Final co-exclusively)
– DAZN (all remaining UCL matches, highlights and all UEL/UECL rights)
Republic of Ireland
– Premier Sports (UCL Tuesday first pick match, Tuesday highlights and UCL Final co–exclusively)
– RTE (UCL Wednesday first pick match, Wednesday highlights and UCL Final co–exclusively)
– Sky (all remaining UCL matches co–exclusively and all UEL/UECL rights)
– Amazon (co–exclusive rights to UCL Tuesday first pick package)
– Paramount+ (co–exclusive rights to UCL Wednesday first pick package and all remaining UCL matches and highlights including UCL Final)
Romania
– Digi (all UCL rights)
South America
– Paramount+ (half of all UCL matches across all matchdays, with co–exclusive UCL Final and highlights)
– ESPN linear networks and Disney+ (half of all UCL matches across all matchdays, with co–exclusive UCL Final, highlights and all UEL/UECL rights)
Sweden
– Disney+ (all UMCCs rights)
Switzerland
– Blue (all UCL rights)
– DAZN (all UEL/UECL rights)
– Canal+ (UCL Tuesday and Wednesday and UEL/UECL first pick matches and finals, co–exclusively in French language)
UC3 previously sold the media rights for the 2027-31 cycle in Europe’s five biggest markets – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom – in November 2025. Discover more here.
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