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Champions League Soccer Rights in America are about to be put to the test. According to people familiar with the organization’s thinking, the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) will begin soliciting bids for the US TV rights to its Champions League matches this week, with offers expected to top $2 billion for a six-year deal, more than doubling what UEFA currently receives each year under current agreements.
According to people who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private, UEFA has had preliminary discussions in recent weeks with Comcast Corp.’s NBC, Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN, Paramount Global’s CBS, Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., Fox Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., Univision, and DAZN.
The Champions League is currently licensed in the United States by Paramount and Univision. The two earn approximately $145 million per year combined, with Amount earning more. Viewership has been high. In May, the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Liverpool, two of the most popular teams in the world, drew 2.8 million viewers on CBS.
That was the largest audience for an English-language television final in the United States. It was also the most watched soccer match ever on Paramount+.
UEFA believes that now is the best time to sell soccer rights in America, as prices are skyrocketing. Comcast Corp.’s NBC agreed in November to pay more than $2.5 billion over six years to renew the US broadcast rights to English Premier League matches. That was nearly three times the previous offer.
According to Sports Business Journal, Apple is paying a minimum guarantee of $250 million per year for Major League Soccer rights, nearly tripling the previous agreement’s value. In addition, the United States will host the World Cup in 2026, which may increase interest in soccer among American audiences.
Rox and Ken discuss this new valuation and who they think will win the rights to broadcast the Champions League.
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