Sky Sports have secured rights to show UEFA Europa League and Conference League matches in the UK from the start of the 2027/2028 campaign. TNT Sports currently hold TV rights for the two European tournaments and the Champions League.
However, the broadcaster will relinquish the rights for all three competitions from 2027 onwards. Other companies have now started to snap-up the opportunities.
Sky Sports have confirmed they will provide coverage of all 342 fixtures across both the Europa and Conference League for a four-year period starting in summer 2027. English clubs are, meanwhile, strongly represented in both tournaments this season.
Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are both competing in the Europa League, while Crystal Palace are participating in the Conference League following their FA Cup triumph last term. Jonathan Licht, Sky Sports chief sports officer, said: “I’m proud that we’re able to bring European football competitions back to Sky customers.
“The UEFA Europa League and Conference League have delivered some of the most exciting European stories in recent years, with English clubs consistently performing strongly and lifting trophies.
“This partnership is made possible by the strength of our business model and brand as the home of sport in the UK. Alongside the Premier League, EFL, SPFL, WSL and more, fans will now regularly enjoy some domestic or European football every day of the week during the season on Sky Sports.”
It has also been confirmed that Amazon Prime will retain broadcasting rights for the premium Tuesday evening Champions League fixture. The streaming platform has been showing matches from the tournament to British audiences since 2024.
“Prime Video has secured the rights to broadcast top-pick UEFA Champions League football in the UK, Ireland, Germany and Italy for four seasons through to 2030/2031,” a statement from the company said.
“This long-term renewal reinforces Prime Video’s commitment to offering the most prestigious sports competitions to Prime members at no additional cost. Prime Video will broadcast the top-pick Tuesday match exclusively in the UK and co-exclusively in Ireland, as well as the top-pick Wednesday match exclusively in Germany and Italy.
“The Wednesday top-pick matches also include two games on consecutive evenings in the opening League Phase round and the pick of the games in the thrilling final League Phase round. This represents an increase in unmissable games for Prime members in Germany.
“The four-year extension through to 2031 follows continued viewership success for unmissable European football on Prime Video.”
The announcement follows reports on Thursday suggesting Paramount+ are to take over from TNT Sports as the primary Champions League broadcaster in the UK.
It’s understood that Relevent Football is conducting the bidding process for the rights, which has been described as a ‘massively complex’ operation. Bids for broadcasting rights across the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France are reportedly being lodged at the same time.
Despite TNT Sports losing rights to broadcast UEFA’s European competitions, they will maintain coverage of Premier League and FA Cup matches. The reshuffle mean supporters might need to subscribe to an additional service – if they wish to watch Champions League football.