Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has extended its deal with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) for the coming three years until the end of the 2023-2024 season.
SPN will be the official broadcaster for five UEFA tournaments after renewing the deal. The five tournaments include UEFA Champions League (UCL), UEFA Europa League (UEL), UEFA Youth League (UFL), UEFA Super Cup (USC) and UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL).
Throughout this deal, Sony Pictures Network will telecast a total of 138 matches across UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup, 141 matches of UEFA Europa League, 141 matches of UEFA Europa Conference League and 39 more matches of UEFA Youth League every season. The same given matches will also be streamed live on its OTT platform Sony Liv.
“European club football is widely followed by fans across India, and the steady rise of its viewership in India in the last few years is testament to its fandom. Through this partnership, we will continue to cement our positioning as a global multi-sporting arena and the premier destination for the best of international club football,” said Mr Rajesh Kaul, chief revenue officer, distribution and head of sports business at Sony Pictures Networks India.
Marketing director of UEFA Guy-Laurent Epstein stated, “Sony Pictures Networks India brings a wealth of experience to premium sports broadcasting and will continue to provide best-in-class coverage of the UEFA Club Competitions to football fans across the Indian subcontinent.”
UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa Cup are lucrative products in the football market as clubs from other leagues face fierce rivalry against top clubs from different competitions. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Lewandowski, Neymar Jr are the most celebrated players in this competition.