CHAMPIONS League clubs are in line to share a £4.5bn annual bonanza from 2027.
But armchair fans may have to splash out for ANOTHER pay TV service.
Uefa and the powerful European Football Clubs organisation representing more than 800 top flight sides have now agreed their six-year broadcast strategy for the three competitions, to run until 2033.
The plan envisages one match in each round of games being screened by a worldwide streamer who will bid for the rights to a “global first pick” played on Tuesday nights.
And the rights for the Big Five territories – England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – will be sold off simultaneously, leaving open the possibility of a single streamer, such as the likes of DAZN, Prime Video or Netflix, buying the rights for all five nations together.
Uefa believe the new approach will see the total value of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League rising from £2.9bn to as much as £4.5bn once the TV deals are struck.
That could see Prem clubs having a deep run in the Champions League anticipating earnings of £150m-plus from European competition.
Arsenal made just over £98m from their semi-final campaign last term, while the Big Six, benefiting from their past European exploits, could now be looking at earning £70-75m before kicking a ball.
The final details on the strategy were agreed at a meeting in Rome ahead of the EFC’s annual General Assembly in the Italian capital.
Uefa announced earlier this year that it was ditching its long-term, formerly in-house marketing arm TEAM in favour of US-owned Relevent Football Partners, promoters of major events including the Premier League’s Summer Series.
Relevant are confident of achieving the income growth targets, especially with the new broadcast model.
The planned new look – if there is a successful bidder – would see the global streamer having one game in every match round through to the semi-finals.
However, there will be a limit on the number of times any one side can be chosen for the global pick.
SunSport understands that there are no plans to change the 36-team league phase which was introduced last season.
That comes despite A22, the Real Madrid-backed agency which has pushed the Super League project for more than three years, offering an olive branch to Uefa if it considered splitting the 36 teams into two separate divisions, with the 18 elite clubs only playing games against each other in the initial phase.
A22’s project, though, includes a demand that the matches are all broadcast on a new streaming platform, named Unify, which club bosses are still reluctant to embrace at this stage.
Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin told club bosses: “Through our joint venture, the game will grow.
“And with Relevant at our side, we have the strongest team to make it happen.
“Together we are building something unique, with ambition. To expand our core revenue streams, inspire new fans, to drive engagement with new audiences, especially in an ever-changing media and streaming rights landscape.
“And to make the most of digital platforms, we’ll bring the game closer than ever to everyone. This is how we will strengthen our clubs and keep European football at the very top.”
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