Prime Video and BBC close to Champions League rights

Amazon’s Prime Video is reportedly close to sealing the rights to the men’s Champions League in the UK.

Bloomberg reports that the streaming platform is close to signing a deal to share the rights with a number of broadcasters, including BT Sport. The agreement will also include the men’s Europa League and Europa Conference League. BT Sport has shown all of these competitions in the UK since 2015 and this new deal would cover 2024 until 2027.

Meanwhile, The Times reports that the BBC is set to show highlights of the competition, bringing the competition back to regular free-to-air coverage for the first time since it went to BT Sport in 2015. It will reportedly air these on Wednesday nights in a mid-week Match Of The Day, adding to its weekend Premier League highlights shows.

The women’s Champions League is currently shown by DAZN, and for free on YouTube across the UK and Europe.

The three-year contract will apparently be at a 20% increase on the current deal, which is for €1.4 billion (£1.2 billion). This could take the rights cycle to around €1.7 billion (£1.45 billion). 

Prime Video already airs the Premier League in the UK, showing two full match weeks every season alongside Sky Sports and BT Sport. Its All Or Nothing documentary series has also found popularity, with the latest edition, focusing on Arsenal’s 2021/22 campaign, set to be released in August. It has also moved into sport outside of the UK, for instance picking up the rights to Ligue 1 in France.

Meanwhile, potential rights sharer BT Sport’s future in the UK is unknown after the creation of a joint venture between it and Warner Bros. Discovery. It is set to merge with Eurosport as part of that deal, with it unclear what brand the broadcaster will operate under in the UK.