The Champions League is further increasing its share of the total value of European football media rights.
In Spain, LaLiga has extended its partnerships with Telefónica and DAZN until 2032.
Ligue 1’s direct-to-consumer service needs partners if the French league’s rights are to return to the value of its previous cycle.
Paramount wins the rights to the largest packages of Champions League matches for 2027-31 in the UK and Germany, taking over from TNT Sports and DAZN.
In the UK, increased fragmentation of premium football coverage strengthens Sky’s attractiveness as an aggregator.
In Germany, Paramount will accelerate the market reshuffle.
DAZN is on track to reach profitability in 2026, the tenth year since its launch, supported by Foxtel’s full-year consolidation and the margin improvements already evident in its 2024 accounts.
Foxtel’s integration diversifies the group, with Australia becoming DAZN’s largest market by revenue.
Expansion in ancillary areas (betting, product developments) and the distribution of third-party services under revenue-sharing agreements complements DAZN’s rights’ ownership in key markets.
Bids for the Champions League media rights from 2027 are expected by 18 November across all top five European markets.
In an attempt at injecting competitive tension, a new ‘global’ Tuesday first pick fixture is on offer. Amazon looks like the favourite bidder.
Incumbent rights licensees prioritise cost savings over coverage expansion.
After four failed broadcast licence deals over five years, France’s top football league will launch its own subscription service in August.
In the short-term, consumer take up will critically depend on bundling arrangements with third-party platforms.
Longer-term, the league will need to establish lasting partnerships. Outdated competition rules are an obstacle, but the Dutch model is worth considering.
As Ligue 1 seeks yet another broadcast arrangement for next season, the French league’s value is expected to erode further.
Outside the UK, the value of major leagues’ live rights are trending downwards. The Champions League—now sold by Relevent—is the silver lining, seeking to sign up a streamer.
Global streaming platforms have a growing appetite for sports rights—but European leagues need patience.
The French league and DAZN have come to an agreement to end their media rights contract after one season, with the league now having had four main broadcast partners in five years.
DAZN claims the league failed to protect its ‘exclusivity’, resulting in high piracy. Ligue 1 blames poor execution.
Without a main broadcast partner for next season, Ligue 1 is exploring the idea of creating its own direct-to-consumer service.
UEFA and Relevent, a newly appointed media rights sales partner, are already surveying the rights market for the next cycle starting in 2027.
With minimal competitive tension in major European markets, incumbent broadcasters are unlikely to increase their bids.
Relevent will, however, try to leverage increased US appetite for soccer to lure a streamer into a global deal.
Recent deals for Ligue 1, the Fifa Club World Cup and Foxtel signal DAZN is focused on global expansion, but this has postponed group breakeven.
Rights have been renewed at lower costs due to tepid competition and wider uncertainty in the broadcasting landscape, which support its improving margins.
Global scale may be a competitive advantage, but DAZN must still prove that global synergies improve local economics and generate a positive margin.
The German football league will earn 2% more per season from its broadcasting rights for 2025-29, while European peers have faced declines at recent auctions
Sky and DAZN have maintained their relative value to fans: Sky expanded its coverage by 27 games, but lost the Saturday ‘Live-Konferenz’ feed to DAZN
The league has maintained wide free TV exposure, and leveraged strong fan demand for its second division