ViacomCBS scores Champions League rights
July 10, 2020
ViacomCBS and UEFA, the governing body of European football, have announced the details of a multi-platform agreement for CBS All Access and CBS Sports to serve as the exclusive English-language home in the US of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League through 2024, beginning this August.
CBS All Access, ViacomCBS’ direct-to-consumer digital subscription VoD and live streaming service, will stream every UEFA club competition match live each season, featuring all UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches, along with the UEFA Super Cup, and from 2021-2022 all UEFA Europa Conference League matches. CBS will air select marquee matches on the CBS Television Network and CBS Sports Network over the length of the deal, featuring the most UEFA matches ever on US broadcast television.
“This is a landmark acquisition for CBS as we add the world’s most popular sport to our extensive portfolio of marquee properties,” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports. “We’re excited to be the new home of the UEFA club competitions and looking forward to showcasing the best soccer in the world with a first-class presentation serving both the passionate and casual soccer fans, starting in August. Using a multi-platform approach across our broadcast, cable and digital assets, this partnership will leverage the power of ViacomCBS and CBS Sports to elevate and grow UEFA’s reach in the United States.”
“The addition of all UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League matches is a game changer for CBS All Access’ growing lineup of sports programming,” said Marc DeBevoise, Chief Digital Officer of ViacomCBS. “This partnership marks a major step in our service’s expansion into exclusive sports content, and we’re thrilled to deliver more than 300 UEFA matches each season, along with the highly anticipated resumption and completion of the current UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League seasons, directly to our subscribers and the clubs’ loyal supporters. Additionally, we are excited about the young, diverse audience that these matches will bring to all of our platforms, especially as we embark on the expansion of CBS All Access with content from across ViacomCBS.”
Originally set to be a three-year deal starting with the 2021-2022 season, CBS and UEFA agreed to add the conclusion of the 2019-2020 season as well as the entire 2020-2021 season, making CBS All Access and CBS Sports the home of UEFA in the U.S. from now through 2024.
Coverage will begin in August with the remaining Round of 16 matches for the 2019-2020 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, followed by the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Final in a straight knockout tournament, and will span multiple platforms, with every game on CBS All Access and select games on CBS Sports Network.