UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, has begun its tender process for the 2024-25 to 2026-27 cycle of the top-tier Champions League (UCL) club competition in the DACH region.
The body issued an 'invitation to submit offer' (ISO) document on October 10 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, having begun the same process on October 3 in the Netherlands.
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The rights on offer cover three seasons of the Champions League, the new Champions League Opening Tournament (a four-team mini competition), and the UEFA Youth League, while also extending to the second-tier Europa League, third-tier Europa Conference League and annual Super Cup.
The sales process is being administered by Team Marketing, UEFA’s commercial agency for club competitions worldwide (apart from in the US). The deadline for submission is November 2 for bids from the Netherlands and November 14 for those from the DACH region.
All inquiries regarding the tender should be sent to info@team.ch.
In Germany, rights to live Champions League action during the current cycle (2021-22 to 2023-24) are split between Amazon Prime Video and over-the-top subscription service DAZN.
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By GlobalDataBlue Entertainment (formerly Teleclub) and CH Media share coverage rights in Switzerland, while Servus TV and Sky do the same in Austria.
In the Netherlands, RTL and Ziggo hold joint rights.
This ISO takes the number of European countries with either completed or in-progress UCL tenders up to 16.
Last month, UEFA issued a tender for those same rights in Cyprus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and Slovakia, while the results of the sales process in six Balkan markets were announced at the start of October.
Long-standing UEFA partner Telekom Srbjia was awarded the rights in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, while, in Croatia, Telekom Srbjia will share first pick Wednesday/Thursday Champions League matches with Croatian Radiotelevision and will share the remaining rights for all three competitions exclusively.
Deals have also been struck in the UK, where BT Sport and Amazon will split live rights, and France, where existing partner Canal Plus renewed with UEFA and Team.
In terms of other key territories, meanwhile, Paramount Global, the major US broadcast network, has retained English-language rights to the UCL and the two other competitions through a six-year deal starting in 2024, which is reportedly worth $1.5 billion.
The start of 2024-25 will see a change in the format of the Champions League. The number of teams will increase from 32 currently to 36, and each side competing in the initial group stages will play eight games, up from six now.
Image: Adam Pretty/Getty Images
