The streaming service giant, Amazon Prime Video has acquired the broadcast rights to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) in the UK for £1.5 billion (£500 million each season).
The streaming entity would split content with the football governing body’s current telecast partner, BT Sport, under a new agreement encompassing its club competitions for the 2024-2027 rights cycle.
For the next three years, Amazon in the United States will also be the sole provider of UEFA Champions League matches on Tuesday nights. BT Sport, which previously held exclusive rights to the UCL, will pay around £305 million annually to maintain most of the coverage.
This is the second telecast agreement to be secured since the European Club Association (ECA) and UEFA formed a new alliance to set up a tender process for marketing rights.
Besides that, The Times reported that the BBC has agreed to show highlights of Champions League football for the first time after a successful bid for UEFA’s TV rights.
Amazon Prime Video has already acquired the rights to 20 Premier League matches per season in the United Kingdom. Along with this, the streaming network has also obtained the Champions League in Germany, which was attained for €90 million in December 2019.
With a 2020 report predicting a 35% increment in Prime subscribers due to Premier League football, the service thinks that displaying live sports will expand the number of Prime subscribers.
Discussions between UEFA, the ECA, and the European Leagues group are ongoing in order to determine how revenue will be divided among the three parties.