UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, has initiated the tender process for media rights to its top-tier club competitions during the 2024-27 cycle across numerous Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets.
The Swiss organization has launched nine separate tenders covering rights to its various club competitions. These include the top-tier UEFA Champions League (UCL), second-tier Europa League, and third-tier Europa Conference League games. The tenders cover a period from 2024-25 to 2026-27 and encompass several APAC markets including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Macau, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
Team Marketing is handling these sales on behalf of UEFA. As UEFA’s partner agency for media and commercial rights sales across its club competitions all inquiries should be directed to info@team.ch with a deadline set for submissions on March 18.
The tender process has already begun in Vietnam
Interestingly enough Vietnam was the first APAC market where UEFA put these rights up for sale back in November last year. Currently heavyweight pay-TV broadcaster BeIN Sports holds rights to UCL action in several countries including Brunei Cambodia Hong Kong Laos Malaysia Singapore and Thailand while Emtek covers Indonesia Tap TV covers Philippines and Eclat’s SpoTV holds rights in South Korea.
Prominent players from this region currently competing in UCL matches include South Korea's Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae who play for Paris Saint-Germain (France) and Bayern Munich (Germany) respectively.
UEFA have opened tender process for next cycle in many countries
UEFA's most recent tender process was launched at end of January covering Poland while other regions like Romania as well as inflight/ship services have also seen their media right go on sale over past few weeks.
In terms of deals struck, DAZN Canada retained exclusive rights to all UEFA club competitions for the next three campaigns last month. This marks the third consecutive cycle that DAZN has partnered with UEFA to broadcast the competitions in Canada since taking over as exclusive rightsholder from Canadian pay-television broadcaster TSN in May 2018.
From the 2024-25 season, UCL will adopt a new single-league format. The competition will expand from 32 to 36 teams and incorporate 189 matches instead of the current 125.
To date, UEFA has sent live a total of nineteen non-European media rights tender processes for the upcoming 2024-27 cycle.
