CRYSTAL PALACE’S return to European competition for the first time in 27 years will be broadcast live on free-to-air television.
The Eagles who last played in Europe during the 1998 Intertoto Cup, will face Norwegian side Fredrikstad in the first leg of their Conference League play-off this Thursday.
The match will be available to watch on Channel 5.
The i paper is reporting that the channel secured the rights to broadcast the game, which is not part of TNT’s broader Uefa package, last week for what industry insiders describe as a “low six-figure sum.”
Channel 5 will also show the away leg, which is scheduled for the following Thursday at 5pm.
This move is in line with Channel 5’s broader strategy of acquiring sports rights on an opportunistic basis.
Earlier this year there were reports that Channel 5 had secured rights to broadcast weekly NFL games in the Sunday primetime slot throughout the upcoming season.
This latest acquisition follows a summer in which Channel 5 covered the Club World Cup, broadcasting the majority of Chelsea and Manchester City’s matches, as well as friendly games like Chelsea’s victories over Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan.
While the restructured tournament in the US initially struggled to sell global TV rights, Channel 5 saw impressive viewership numbers after securing sublicensed coverage from DAZN, with surprise primetime viewing figures surpassing 2 million and average audiences of around 1.5 million.
Channel 5’s sports portfolio has received a boost since the merger between its parent company, Paramount, and content giant Skydance, a deal worth approximately £5.9 billion.
The new owners have made sports rights a major focus of their strategy, investing £5.7 billion in an eight-year UFC deal.
David Ellison, CEO of the newly formed Paramount Skydance, emphasized their commitment to forging dynamic partnerships with top-tier sports leagues such as the NFL and UEFA.
He said: “We’re focused on increasing investment in premium, exclusive content.
“Sports, in particular, are a powerful driver of audience engagement and loyalty.”
The decision to move for the Palace game is expected to further boost their numbers given the Eagles have recently won the FA Cup and beat Liverpool to the Community Shield last week.
Palace also impressed again when they travelled to Chelsea at the weekend and held the Club World Cup Champions to a 0-0 draw in the Premier League.
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