BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – The Champions League will remain an expensive pleasure for football fans in the long term. In the three seasons starting in 2024/25, all live broadcasts will also be broadcast on pay channels – with the exception of the final. DAZN and Amazon have struck again on the rights market and will share the big TV packages of football’s premier class for another three years.
Free-to-air TV will continue to show the final and recaps on Wednesday. According to information from the German Press Agency, ZDF has signed a contract with the European Football Union (UEFA) for this, which is roughly the same size as the current contract. The broadcaster and the association did not want to officially comment on Wednesday.
The majority of the live broadcasts of the then reformed premier class will also be shown by DAZN from 2024. According to information from negotiating circles, the streaming service has also agreed on a new contract with UEFA.
So far only Amazon has confirmed that there is a new contract for the premier class. The contract between the US company and UEFA, negotiated by the Team Marketing agency, includes 17 games per season for the German market. According to the contract, Prime Video has the first right of access when selecting the game and broadcasts it exclusively. All other games are running – as in this and the coming season – on DAZN.
What is unpleasant for the fans, the companies can book as a success in the competition for the coveted rights. The pay provider Sky, for many years the largest Champions League broadcaster in Germany, again went empty handed in the tender launched in October.
With the new deal, DAZN is expanding its supremacy in Germany. From 2024, the international media company will be offering even more games from the most important international club competition. The streaming service will then broadcast 186 of 203 games live per season. That’s 65 more than before.
The increase in games is due to the new format. The number of clubs increases from 32 to 36 and the group stage is replaced by a league stage. Each club initially plays eight games against eight different opponents. Also new: Before the knockout phase, there are still playoff games for the teams that finished in places 9 to 24 in the league.
Another change: the first match day of the Champions League runs over three days, from Tuesday to Thursday. The last matchday of the group phase, on the other hand, will be played entirely on a Wednesday, with all matches starting at 9 p.m.
DAZN did not want to officially comment on Wednesday, while Amazon confirmed the renewed contract. Prime Video will show one game live from the first round to the semi-finals of the new premier class, as well as highlights of all Tuesday matches, according to a statement. The Champions League is “the most prestigious club competition in football,” commented Europe boss Alex Green. “Millions of Prime members in Germany appreciate our broadcasts.”
The online giant showed a Champions League game in Germany for the first time in August last year via Prime Video and now seems to be establishing itself as a sports broadcaster. Amazon has also bought a package for the three seasons from 2024 in the UK./mrs/DP/stk
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