Amazon are ‘poised to sign’ for Champions League TV rights in the UK

Amazon is reportedly close to agreeing a deal to broadcast the Champions League in the UK for the first time.

The tech giants is one of a number of broadcasters, including BT Sport, that are poised to sign a media rights deal with UEFA, the governing body for professional football in Europe.

US-based Amazon will share coverage of UEFA’s flagship Champions League competition, as well as the Europa League and Europa Conference League.

The tech giants is one of a number of broadcasters that are poised to sign a media rights deal

The new deal is estimated to be worth around 1.7 billion euros (£1.5m) for the upcoming campaign, according to Bloomberg.

Representatives for Amazon and BT declined to comment on this report, while a spokesperson for UEFA also couldn’t be reached for comment.

The deal shows just how keen Amazon is to bid for some of the most expensive sports rights to boost demand for its Prime Video platform.

Amazon already shows live matches from the English Premier League and last year secured broadcast rights to most of France’s biggest football competition.

Amazon already shows live matches from the English Premier League and games in France

They also produce All or Nothing shows on football clubs and players, having already featured Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal over recent seasons.

The deal will be a major boost to its recently-expanded Champions League, which last year faced the threat of a rival breakaway Super League backed by some of Europe’s biggest football teams.

The Super League plan collapsed in a matter of days following fierce backlash from fans and politicians.

UEFA subsequently revamped the Champions League by increasing the number of teams and matches in a bid to make it a more competitive and lucrative tournament.