Netflix Wants to Stream the Champions League
Football broadcasting may be entering a new chapter. The conversation around media rights has reignited as Netflix signals its growing interest in live sports, particularly the world’s most prestigious club competition. The Netflix Champions League discussion highlights how streaming giants are reshaping the future of football, turning matches into stories and fans into subscribers.
A Global Bidding Revolution
UEFA’s most valuable product is about to enter a new era. According to multiple reports, Netflix is preparing to bid for the global rights to stream one UEFA Champions League match per round starting in the 2027–28 season. It would be the first time UEFA sells a truly global broadcast package, allowing one platform to stream matches across all territories simultaneously. And if that happens, it will mark the biggest power shift in football media history.
UEFA’s current broadcast deals generate around €4.4 billion per year. For the next cycle, which begins in 2027, the organization expects at least a 10 percent increase, reaching roughly €5 billion annually. The rights cover the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League and will be managed by Relevent Sports Group, the same agency that brokered CBS’s $1.5 billion U.S. deal that transformed the competition’s presence in America.
From Markets to Global Platforms
This new structure completely changes how the game is sold. Instead of market-by-market packages, UEFA will now allow bidders to compete for multiple regions or even a single worldwide offer. That opens the door to streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon, Apple and Warner Bros. Discovery, companies that measure success not in households reached but in minutes watched and stories told.
For Netflix, the logic is simple. With more than 300 million paying subscribers and $39 billion in annual revenue, the platform has already proven it can turn sports into global entertainment. From Drive to Survive to Full Swing and Tour de France: Unchained, Netflix turned niche audiences into worldwide fan bases. Live football would be the next step and the biggest one yet.
The Global Event Effect
A Champions League night between Real Madrid and Manchester City isn’t just a game; it’s a global event. It’s the ultimate weekly drama, with superstars, tension and unpredictable endings, exactly the kind of content Netflix thrives on. Owning even one match per week would give the platform a recurring, premium live property that keeps fans subscribed all year round.
For UEFA, the benefits go beyond money. Partnering with a global streamer means access to younger, digital-first audiences who live on social media and value storytelling as much as the scoreline. It’s a strategic play to future-proof European football’s commercial model, one that aligns with how fans consume the game today: online, on-demand, and on their own schedule.
The End of Traditional Broadcasting
For traditional broadcasters, this is an existential threat. Live football was their final stronghold, the reason millions still paid for cable. Once Netflix or Amazon starts delivering the same product globally, that monopoly collapses. The sports industry is shifting from distribution to experience, from viewers to communities, from broadcast schedules to continuous storytelling.
If Netflix wins, it won’t just stream football; it will redefine it. Expect new formats, integrated storytelling, instant highlights and deeper fan interaction built around every matchday. For UEFA, that means predictable, scalable, global revenue. For fans, it means access, innovation and authenticity.
This is the end of traditional linear TV.
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