TV rights: Amazon Prime Video aims for Champions League

The best Champions League matches could come free-to-air on Amazon Prime Video from 2021

Amazon Prime Video could win the TV rights to broadcast 17 Champions League soccer matches to air Wednesday night games. The giant of Jeff Bezos would have offered about 80 million euros for the package auctioned by Uefa for the three-year period 2021-2024.

The news of the bid for the TV rights for European soccer matches came during the days of Prime Day. The soccer matches will be included in the Amazon Prime subscription, which at a cost of 36 euros per year offers its users exclusive discounts, lightning deals, unlimited fast delivery and also access to services such as Prime Video, Prime Gaming, Prime Reading and Amazon Music. Users will be able to watch the best Wednesday night matches of the Champions League directly from the streaming service Prime Video, which already offers TV series, movies and original content from Amazon.

Champions League lands on Prime Video

Amazon expands in the content offered with Prime Video and also focuses on sports. Jeff Bezos' company has participated in the auction for the TV rights for the three-year period 2021-2024 of the top 17 Champions League matches aired on Wednesday nights. Although the official opening of the envelopes is still missing, it seems that Amazon from 2021 will be able to broadcast free-to-air soccer matches. It is not yet clear if the company has acquired only the rights for streaming, or if it is the package that contains exclusive rights for all platforms. In this second case, it will be able to resell them for digital terrestrial or satellite.

Amazon bets on sports in Italy and Europe

After the debut of sports on Amazon in England last year, now the company is also aiming at the transmission of soccer in Italy. The Champions League landing in Europe has already taken place in Germany, where it will broadcast Tuesday night matches from the 2021/2022 football season. In July 2019, Amazon also reached an agreement with the French Federtennis and from 2021 it will broadcast on Prime Video some matches of the Roland Garros tournament.

As for the other TV rights packages auctioned by Uefa, Amazon will have to submit a new offer by October 15. Sky, DAZN and Mediaset will also take part in the bidding process.