Turner’s UEFA deal reflects US fervour for international soccer
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Michelle Clancy
| 23 August 2017

Turner and UEFA, the governing body of European football, recently announced a three-year multi-platform rights agreement for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League in the US—because, Turner said, there is an all-time high for soccer interest in that country.

“World football is exploding in popularity in the US, particularly these marquee UEFA matches, and it fits perfectly with our goals to invest in original video content across our collective portfolio,” said Turner Sports president Lenny Daniels.

Interest is definitely up: in June, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid defeated Italian powerhouse Juventus 4-1 to retain the UEFA Champions League title in a match that delivered more than three million viewers on FOX and FOX Deportes.

The match drew 1,762,000 viewers on FOX, up 5% over last year’s Real Madrid vs. Atletico de Madrid final (1,682,000). On FOX Deportes, the match attracted 1,241,000 total viewers, making it the most-watched Spanish-language cable sports programme in the US for the week.

Premium live sports continue to be a key part of Turner’s programming and business strategy. Timed to this deal, it is also announcing the creation of a new standalone premium sports streaming service set to launch in 2018. Matches will be offered directly to fans through Turner’s new premium over-the-top (OTT) sports platform, with Bleacher Report serving as a portal to the OTT service and the live UEFA matches.

“Bleacher Report, in particular, will also provide extensive, year-round UEFA clips and original content, including shoulder and ancillary programming, across its full suite of products and its popular accounts on various social media platforms,” Daniels said.

Overall, Turner will present more than 340 UEFA matches per year across its television and digital platforms. Live matches will also be regularly televised across TBS, TNT and/or truTV throughout the length of the deal.

“This is the latest example of our company’s continued strategy to innovate beyond the traditional TV ecosystem as we provide premium viewing experiences that drive engagement across all platforms,” Daniels said. “This UEFA deal and the development of a sports streaming product will allow for us to reach new audiences, while simultaneously driving value to all of our partners.”