The Prima Sport and Digi Sport Romanian pay-TV networks have acquired rights in the country to European soccer governing body UEFA’s trio of international club competitions, renewing their coverage for the next rights period ahead of the upcoming season.
Covering the elite UEFA Champions League, second-tier Europa League, and tertiary Conference League competitions, the two broadcasters will split the rights for the next three years, from the beginning of the 2024-25 season through the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
The deal was agreed ahead of the season-opening UEFA Super Cup, which saw Champions League winners Real Madrid defeat Europa League winners Atalanta on August 14.
In the 2021-24 rights cycle, coverage of the Champions League was previously split by Digi Sport and Prima Sport, alongside fellow pay-TV operator Orange Sport which shut down its service earlier in 2024, while Europa League and Conference League rights were held by free to air network Pro TV.
From 2024-25, the Champions League will take on a new single-league format, with the competition expanding from 32 to 36 teams, and incorporating 189 matches instead of the current 125. This season's group stages begin in mid-September.
The Europa League and Conference League will also increase in size next year, with the match total up from 282 to 342.
Romania will have at least one and as many as two club sides in European competition this season, with reigning domestic champions FCSB competing in the Europa League qualification playoffs (but guaranteed a Conference League berth if they lose), while runners-up CFR Cluj are competing in the Conference League qualifying play-off round.
A handful of Romanian national team players could also compete for clubs across the three competitions including Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Drăgușin, Rangers midfielder Ianis Hagi, and Trabzonspor forward Denis Drăguș (although Trabzonspor must still qualify through the play-off round).
