The direct-to-consumer streaming service would be to enable specific markets to watch Champions League football via subscription service.
UEFA is reportedly in early-stage talks of developing a direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service with a view to launching it as early as 2027.
To potentially fall in line with the 2027-31 UEFA broadcast rights cycle, UEFA and UC3, the joint venture between UEFA and European Football Clubs (EFC), have discussed a DTC streaming service similar to the Premier League’s recently announced Premier League + service set to launch in Singapore next season.
The Guardian reported that a similar Asian market, such as India and Indonesia being early contenders, has been discussed as the first country where the proposed streaming service could be first launched. Asia has been earmarked due to many broadcast rights in multiple countries for UEFA competitions expiring in the next year.
Insider Sport contacted UEFA for comment, in which it responded by stating: “We have no further comments to make.”
Currently, beIN Sports and Emtek share Champions League rights in Indonesia until 2027, whereas Sony Sports Network owns the rights for the Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, also expiring in 2027.
Outside of Asia, UEFA has already awarded broadcast rights for its competitions in its next rights cycle (2027-31).
Paramount acquired Champions League rights in the UK, Ireland, the US, and Germany, Canal+ and TF1 was awarded rights in France, while Amazon Prime Video received a limited package in markets such as the UK, Ireland, Italy, and Germany.
Discussions between UEFA and UC3 have already pondered whether the DTC streaming service could be free-of-charge and if a trial is needed before developments can progress.
UC3, according to The Guardian, will look to markets that are close to expiry dates on their rights contracts and those markets where a subscription-based model would generate more revenue if appetite for a standard rights contract is either underperforming, or not commercially viable.
Following in the Premier League’s footsteps?
UEFA becomes the latest footballing organisation to show interest in launching its own DTC streaming platform after the Premier League announced in February 2026 it will rollout Premier League + in Singapore for the 2026/27 season.
In partnership with local broadcaster Starhub, Premier League + will live broadcast all 380 games from the league, as well as produce in-house additional content. The move from the Premier League comes after it ended its 20-year global production partnership with IMG to set up its own in-house production company.
This is also an approach Ligue 1 has already deployed in France with the launch of Ligue 1+ this season.
Going DTC however also comes with churn and production complexities. Rather than receiving a flat, annual fee from a broadcaster and avoiding production and customer complaints, UEFA would theoretically have to handle all of these challenges in-house.
Subscriptions also become the predominant mode of broadcast revenue. Ligue 1 is currently experiencing this issue. Despite already amassing more than one million subscribers, clubs such as Angers have raised concerns over the significantly less broadcast revenue it will receive this season.
