UEFA To Search For New Rights Sales Partner For Champions League

European football governing body, UEFA, has announced the start of a tender process in the hopes of finding a new rights sales partner for its club competitions for the 2024-2027 cycle.

The move plans to provide Europe’s top football clubs competing in the UEFA Champions League a larger voice in marketing decision making for the competitions and to limit future discussions of a European Super League which broke down earlier this year.

The decision will likely put an end to UEFA’s 25-year partnership with TEAM Marketing, who will be required to apply for the tender process along with any other potentially interested parties, despite reports the rights will be sold as part of a standalone joint venture between UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA)

At the ECA’s latest general assembly in September, PSG chairman, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, addressed the commercialisation of UEFA club competitions.

“We need to work with UEFA to better optimise revenues from club competitions,” Al-Khelaifi said.

“To that end, we have recently negotiated a letter of intent with UEFA to establish a new model for commercialising UEFA club competitions.

“This new model will be a joint-venture between the ECA and UEFA with ultimate responsibility for the business and commercial side of the club competitions, resulting in new and better commercial rights strategies and management.

“In addition, we will also work with UEFA on ways to maximise the value of the new post-2024 format, known as ‘the Swiss model’, and to improve club relationships with national associations, which is in everyone’s interests,” he said.

With the new Swiss model that is set to be introduced for the Champions League in 2024, each team will play ten matches as part of one 36-team league, before moving on to knockout stages.