Explained: How Paramount’s £1bn Champions League deal will look for UK fans

TNT Sports will no longer show the Champions League in the UK from 2027.

Instead, US broadcasters Paramount have won the rights to show Europe’s most prestigious competition in the UK.

The company have reportedly paid over £1 billion for the privilege, though Amazon Prime will still show a game every Tuesday from 2027 to 2031.

How UK viewers can watch Champions League on Paramount

It means UK viewers will need to take out another subscription service to watch the Champions League, while the Europa League and Conference League will be shown on Sky Sports.

It also means a boost in broadcasting revenue for UEFA, who had previously sold the rights for £917 million to BT Sport.

The trend of moving away from traditional broadcasters towards streaming services continues with the new deal: Paramount provides a streaming service in the UK – Paramount+ – which costs £4.99 a month.

They already broadcast the competition in the US, with the CBS Golazo show starring Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards and Kate Scott proving popular.

Paramount will reportedly get first pick for all Champions League fixtures in the terms of the new deal, with the exception of Tuesday night games, which Amazon will select first.

The new deal has not yet been confirmed by Paramount, although TNT Sports, who had the rights since 2013 (previously under the name BT Sport), released a statement claiming they were not willing to match the bid.

“Ultimately we remained committed to the approach that made financial sense for our business, and for our customers,” it said. “TNT Sports retains a strong portfolio of football with our coverage of the Premier League, newly acquired Emirates FA Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup rights.”

Meanwhile, Amazon reportedly beat competition from Netflix and Disney+ to broadcast one weekly Champions League match.

Sky Sports also released a statement regarding their acquisition of the rights to show the Europa League and Conference League.

“I’m proud that we’re able to bring European football competitions back to Sky customers,” said Sky’s chief sports officer, Jonathan Lich. “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.”

Callum is a football writer who has had work published by the likes of BBC Sport, the Independent, BT Sport and the Blizzard, amongst various others. A lifelong Wrexham fan, he is hoping Ryan Reynolds can lead his hometown club to the promised land.