UEFA is setting its sights on an ambitious €5 billion annual revenue goal as global streaming giant Netflix explores entering the football broadcast market by bidding for Champions League rights from the 2027–28 season.
According to The Times UK, Netflix is considering bidding for the rights to stream one Champions League match per round globally, marking a bold shift from its previous reluctance to embrace live sports.
Netflix’s Move into Live Sports
Netflix first tested live sports broadcasting with the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight in November 2024, which peaked at 65 million streams worldwide. The platform’s success in that experiment and its recent acquisition of U.S. rights to the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups have encouraged it to explore deeper participation in premium live events.
While Netflix has built its sports reputation through behind-the-scenes series like Formula 1: Drive to Survive, Full Swing (golf), and Break Point (tennis), the Champions League would represent a much larger, high-stakes commitment — bringing together global audiences for weekly football fixtures featuring clubs such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City.
UEFA’s €5 Billion Ambition
UEFA and the European Football Clubs (EFC) organization — formerly the European Club Association — aim to increase revenues from €4.4 billion per year to at least €5 billion in the next broadcast cycle. The goal would place UEFA’s club competitions ahead of the Premier League’s £3.6 billion annual broadcasting income, making it the world’s most profitable football property.
From 2027, UEFA plans to restructure how it sells broadcast packages, offering for the first time a global streaming deal for one marquee Champions League fixture per round. The chosen broadcaster — with Netflix currently in talks — would have first pick of Tuesday matches but would face limits on repeatedly showing the same teams.
Other rights, including those for the Europa League and Conference League, will continue to be auctioned to traditional broadcasters such as Sky, DAZN, TNT Sports, and Discovery across major markets.
Why It Matters
A rise to €5 billion in annual income would solidify the Champions League’s position as the most valuable club competition in world football, ensuring higher payouts for participating clubs and reinforcing the tournament’s global appeal.
However, the growth could also intensify financial inequality within European football, as smaller clubs fear widening gaps between elite teams and those outside regular participation. UEFA maintains that solidarity payments to lower-tier competitions will continue to increase, but critics argue that most of the new revenue tends to stay at the top.
The Broader Impact
If Netflix secures rights, it could reshape the European broadcast market. Competing platforms may be forced to raise their bids to stay competitive, driving up costs across the board.
For fans, however, the change could mean more fragmented viewing options and higher subscription costs, with multiple platforms needed to watch domestic and European competitions.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin remains optimistic about the direction of travel:
“Together we are building something unique — to deliver the most engaging, innovative, and accessible football to expand our revenue streams. This is how we will keep European football at the top,” he said at the recent EFC assembly in Rome.
The Bottom Line
Whether or not Netflix wins the rights, its entry into the bidding process will almost certainly push prices higher — bringing UEFA’s €5 billion goal within reach. But the fundamental question remains unchanged:
Will the extra money strengthen European football as a whole, or will it simply make the biggest clubs even richer?
Either way, Netflix’s potential leap into live Champions League coverage could redefine how fans around the world experience football’s grandest stage.
