A TV earthquake is shaking European soccer – and fans in Germany are being hit particularly hard. UEFA has reallocated the TV rights for the Champions League from the 2027/28 season onwards – with consequences that could hardly be more pleasing for millions of soccer fans. For the first time, the premier league rights in Germany are switching to two US providers: Paramount+ and Amazon. This will not only make watching the games more complicated, but also more expensive.
While the Champions League will be shown entirely on US platforms in future, Sky and RTL will be left empty-handed. DAZN, which currently still shows Premier League matches, will lose the rights from 2027 – but will receive the packages for the Europa League and Conference League. What remains is a fragmented rights structure that will force fans to dig even deeper into their pockets.
Four subscriptions necessary – fans frustrated by new avalanche of costs
In concrete terms, the new allocation of rights means that in future you will need DAZN and Sky for the Bundesliga and Paramount+ and Amazonfor the Champions League.
If you want to watch everything, you will need four different subscriptions. According to current pricing models, this would mean over 1,000 euros per year for many households – without any price increases from the providers.
In Germany, where fan culture is closely interwoven with the broad accessibility of soccer, this decision has caused massive criticism. Many fans have already complained about the fragmented offerings. The upcoming structure will significantly exacerbate the situation.
Freund reacts: „It’s not easy for the fans“
Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund was unusually clear in his response to the growing discontent. For the Munich sporting director, it is clear that UEFA is serving economic interests with the new distribution of rights, but at the same time burdening the basis of soccer: „The Champions League is the premium product of soccer, the heart of European soccer. Of course, it is not easy for the fans when the rights are awarded to several broadcasters. It is important that the fans can watch many games – soccer lives from the emotions and the fans.“
Freund hits a nerve with this statement, as the gap between commercialization and fan proximity seems to be widening. The Champions League in particular, which always presents itself as a glossy international product, is losing some of its accessibility due to fragmentation.
UEFA focuses on the US market – Germany bears the consequences
The fact that the rights are going to two US giants is no coincidence. The American market has long been a growth engine for UEFA. Paramount+ already owns the rights in several countries, and Amazon is investing aggressively in sports rights worldwide.
For Bundesliga fans in Germany, however, this move means a clear disadvantage: more platforms, more costs, more opacity. UEFA’s goal of increasing the global value of the competition is thus noticeably at odds with the fans‘ desire for simplicity and fair prices.