UPDATED | Paramount Skydance has won the rights to show a package of live UEFA men’s Champions League games in the UK from 2027.
- Paramount+ set to become new football streaming destination.
- Blow to Warner Bros’ HBO Max and TNT Sports.
- Will require football fans to sign up to another streaming service for full access.
Paramount Skydance has won the rights to show UEFA Champions League football from 2027 in the UK. The company will screen Wednesday night live games on Paramount+.
Amazon has confirmed it will continue to show Tuesday night Champions League games.
On Friday morning, Sky confirmed it had won the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League rights. The deal completely separates Champions League and Europe League TV coverage across different providers from 2027.
Paramount also owns [Channel] 5, which could be used as a free-to-air outlet for selected games. Free-to-air highlights, with the BBC until 2031, are part of a seperate broadcast deal.
Paramount has also won the rights to show a package of Champions League matches in Germany, where Netflix will for the first time show the final live. Paramount+ already carries live Champions League games in the USA.
Four subscriptions!?
Football fans would need to have at least four subscriptions from 2027 to watch the top teams play in all competitions. For the top English teams, fans would need Sky Sports, TNT Sports (or HBO Max, which includes TNT Sports from 2026), Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+.
TNT Sports, previously BT Sport, has held UEFA rights for over a decade, after winning the rights Sky Sports for the rights in the mid 2010s. BT Sport also took the Champions League off free-to-air TV in the UK, with the exeption of a small number of games shown on the now defunct BT Showcase channel on Freeview. Previously, ITV carried a selection of live midweek games.
If confirmed, the news will be a major blow for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD). The company plans to launch HBO Max in the UK next year. TNT Sports and its premium sports offer will become part of the HBO Max package. The loss of midweek UEFA action a year later would be an unwelcome development.
The end of the Champions League on TNT Sports …or not?
Industry rumours continue to swirl over the future of WBD and the two companies it plans to divide into.
TNT Sports UK and HBO Max are set to end up as part of Warner Bros, while factual, reality and news brands transfer to Discovery Global.
Netflix, Paramount Skydance and Comcast have submitted bids for the business.
If the favoured bidders were to push things further, HBO Max and TNT Sports could be swallowed up by Netflix by 2027. On the other hand, Paramount, HBO Max and TNT Sports UK might all end up under one roof — meaning the Champions League could well stay put.
It might be better not commit to a long-term subscription to any service just yet.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: UEFA | Updated: 21/11/25 15:19 with the latest developments.