The UEFA Champions League is leaving Turner after just three years.
Sports Business Daily reported Friday that CBS Sports has won English-language rights to the UEFA Champions League in a three-year deal that begins in 2021. Univision will keep Spanish-language rights.
CBS will succeed Turner Sports as UEFA’s English-language rightsholder. Turner is in the second of a three-year deal that was reached less than three years ago. Prior to last year, Fox Sports held the rights from 2010-17 and ESPN from 1994-2009.
Under the deal, matches will air on the CBS broadcast network, CBS Sports Network and the CBS All-Access over-the-top service. Currently, English-language matches air on TNT and Turner’s B/R Live OTT service.
According to the report, CBS was not expected to make a bid. The network came out ahead in a crowded field that included Turner, ESPN and NBC Sports, the latter two pursuing both English and Spanish-language rights. Fox Sports also bid, but was “not … as aggressive” as its competitors.
CBS has generally stayed on the sidelines of sports TV negotiations, save for extending the properties it already owns. Other than Thursday Night Football, UEFA is arguably the biggest addition to the CBS lineup since it reacquired NFL rights in 1998.
CBS and Univision will reportedly pay a combined $150 million for the rights, up from the $100 million Turner and Univision are currently paying.
[News from Sports Business Daily 11.8]
