UEFA is seeking to elevate engagement amongst European football fans, with the official launch of its new OTT streaming platform.
The platform, which is a first for a football governing body, is aimed at giving viewers greater access to live and on-demand video content from a variety of competitions.
Named UEFA.tv, the channel will initially provide fans with an entertainment platform which will offer original programming based on 60 years of European football archive. It will also become the home of youth, women’s and futsal UEFA competitions by offering them a wide live coverage in relevant markets.
Football’s governing body revealed that the German Bundesliga will be the first national league with a presence on the European governing body’s new digital portal, it will also promote all UEFA competitions by offering behind the scene content, interviews and a wide range of additional content.
All the video content is behind a free-to-view registration, and supporters will now have the opportunity to watch live UEFA competition matches even when there is no rights-holder in the territory where they are living.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin commented: “The digital landscape is evolving and we need to be in a position where we can anticipate and respond to these changes. UEFA is an innovative organisation and by introducing this platform, we will be making football and our competitions more accessible to supporters around the world.
“Our partnership with the Bundesliga is yet another example of the unity of European football and clearly demonstrates our desire to address future opportunities together for the promotion of our sport.”
This service will be available as from the launch and will include Monday highlights of weekend matches and shows such as the “Bundesliga Special”, aligned especially to the interests of international fans. In addition, archives of past top Bundesliga matches and unforgettable UEFA Champions League matches involving German teams will be available.
DFL CEO Christian Seifert added: “Media use is changing constantly,” said . “UEFA’s new streaming service is a very timely step to reach football fans around the world, especially younger target groups.
“The DFL has consistently backed and initiated technological and media innovations ever since it was founded. We are therefore delighted to be the first national league partner in this project, which will allow us to get even more people around the world excited about the Bundesliga in the future.”
The Bundesliga content on UEFA.tv will be available in major European markets such as the UK, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain and Turkey as well as the Middle East and Africa from the start.
UEFA.tv will not be competing with TV channels but would rather be complementary by taking advantage of the wide range of content available at UEFA, including archive footage, delayed games, magazine programmes or futsal, women’s and grassroots competitions. In addition, it could be used by UEFA’s 55 federations to increase their global reach and visibility.
