US entertainment corporation Paramount has obtained exclusive access to broadcast Champions League matches in the United Kingdom for four seasons starting in 2027.
According to BBC Sport, the company’s payment will significantly surpass the roughly £1bn value of TNT Sports’ current arrangement.
Amazon Prime will retain its Tuesday night fixture slot for the 2027–2031 cycle, continuing its involvement in European football coverage.
This development follows the UC3 collaboration between UEFA, European football clubs, and Relevent, which oversaw the rights auction.
Paramount has already worked alongside UEFA to produce the cinematic segments used during the previous two Champions League draws.
Executives close to the process believe the agreement benefits the Premier League as well, introducing another heavyweight broadcaster to the ecosystem without diminishing the overall market value.
Recent industry speculation has linked Paramount with a possible takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports.
A more fragmented landscape for supporters
Sky confirmed it will carry every Europa League and Conference League fixture from 2027–28, amounting to 342 games per campaign.
The arrival of another subscription platform typically forces viewers to juggle additional services to access live football.
This shift removes the Champions League from a broadcaster that previously stored multiple major competitions under one umbrella.
Fans once only needed a Sky package for the Premier League while ITV handled Europe’s flagship event. Those days have faded entirely.
ITV managed the tournament alone between 1992 and 2003, then partnered with Sky until 2015.
Setanta and ESPN briefly shared Premier League rights between 2007 and 2013, but the most dramatic shake-up came with BT Sport’s entry into the market.
BT acquired Premier League matches in 2013, and by 2015 it held exclusive control of Champions League coverage, ending live free-to-air access.
Although TNT Sports will relinquish European club competitions from 2027, it remains essential for the Saturday lunchtime Premier League slot and FA Cup action.
Viewers face mounting costs. A TV license costs £14.54 monthly. A Sky Sports bundle is £50. Adding TNT Sports raises the bill by £30.99.
Amazon Prime costs £8.99 for its Tuesday coverage, although the subscription includes additional entertainment content.
Altogether this reaches £89.98, without including Premier Sports or Disney+, which hold rights to La Liga and the Women’s Champions League.
From 2027 the total cost is poised to climb again, though Sky subscribers will at least gain broader European content.
Reports suggest Netflix and DAZN may enter future bidding rounds, creating even more fragmentation.
UEFA strategic shift pays off
The last time the Champions League rights were auctioned, BT Sport paid £917m, representing a notable drop from the preceding cycle.
Although UEFA partnered with Amazon to maintain value, revenue levels still fell short of the expectations shared by UEFA and European football clubs.
To boost earnings in key territories, UEFA commissioned UC3 and Relevant Football Partners to manage the bidding process.
This new approach produced a highly lucrative outcome, with Paramount’s offer comfortably exceeding the £1bn threshold.
With streaming services rising in influence, UEFA coordinated a simultaneous rights tender across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK to appeal to digital-first platforms.
The resulting arrangement—combining Paramount’s package with Amazon’s renewal—marks a full departure from Europe’s long-standing broadcast partners.
The trend is already visible, with many recent World Cup qualifiers in the UK made available only through Amazon’s pay-per-view system.
Despite this momentum, online streaming depends on a stable connection and introduces a delay not present in traditional broadcasts.
How viewers might watch matches on Paramount
Paramount+ operates in the UK primarily as a hub for films and original series.
Paramount broadcasts the Champions League in the United States via CBS, but this marks its first venture into British sports programming.
It is still unknown whether Champions League games in the UK will appear on Paramount+, be integrated into existing subscription tiers, or be offered through a new football add-on.
It is also unclear whether the service will form part of existing partner bundles, such as Sky Cinema customers’ access to an ad-supported package.
Standalone Paramount+ prices begin at £4.99 per month, with premium plans costing £7.99 or £10.99.
The subscription can be purchased through its website, through Sky for those without Sky Cinema, or via Amazon Prime Video.
Users may watch through the Paramount+ app on Sky devices or through standard streaming platforms.
Since Paramount owns Channel 5, the broadcaster could use it for select matches, including the Champions League final, which must be available free to air.
