UEFA is changing its broadcast tender process in an effort to draw in the major streamers. European football’s governing body wants these services to show top competitions like the Champions League. Per David Hellier (a former editor of mine!) for Bloomberg News:
Broadcasters and streamers will now be able to bid for rights in multiple markets at the same time, according to a person familiar with the matter. Previously, major markets have been tendered at different times depending on existing contracts, making bundled bids difficult.
Paramount+ already has all the games in the US. In the UK, Amazon Prime Video exclusively shows one match each Tuesday. Everything else is on TNT Sports and its streaming service Discovery+. For years, there have been mumurings that Amazon wants more Chapmions League games. That was said to be one of the reason it has given up its Premier League blocs over the Christmas/New Year period.
Nobody who reads this newsletter will be surprised that more major sports competitions are likely heading to direct-to-consumer services. We don’t need to reiterate the arguments around fragmentation either. However, the way that UEFA seem happy to rejig the timing on the tendering process, including being open to longer bids, is interesting.
Champions League Broadcast Changes
In theory, one service could become a global provider of the Champions League for a few years. Apple is particularly interested in this model of showing sports. It took on Friday Night Baseball and Major League Soccer (for a decade!) as the global provider. Cupertino was initially resistant to only taking on sports in certain territories. The policy does seem to have shifted with its unchallenged bid for US Formula 1 rights.
Hellier was also told that “consideration will be given to reach and promotional support and not just the financial weight of bids”. Streamers can certainly bring in a younger audience. However, it is not yet clear that they can bring in a larger one and, crucially, new fans. Dedicated followers will go wherever the matches are, but it is much harder to get “drive-by” viewers on a streaming service than linear TV. Watching something on a streamer is a far more intentional decision. (YouTube is obviously a somewhat different proposition.)
Sporting bodies and competitions cannot rest on their laurels, hoping everyone will keep shelling out for a cable subscription to watch them. However, jumping to streaming too early might mean they lose potential viewers. Both the MLS and Saudi Pro League are exclusive to streamers in key markets, and who really watches them? It’s a tricky balance to strike.
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