UEFA secures €975m Spanish rights deal

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UEFA has confirmed an exclusive deal with Spanish telephone company Telefónica for the rights to leagues including the Champions League and Europa League.

UEFA has confirmed an exclusive deal with Spanish telephone company Telefónica for the rights to a number of leagues including the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

The deal, valued at €975m, runs for three years and begins from the 2021/2022 season. The matches will be available on the Movistar+ platform owned by Telefónica.

Movistar now have the broadcasting rights to all of the main European competitions for Spain and Andorra. The deal also gives Movistar the rights to show these matches in public places such as cafes restaurants and hotels.

“UEFA is delighted to be continuing the distribution of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Youth League in Spain with Telefónica, as well as the new European club competition, the UEFA Europa Conference League,” Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA Events SA Marketing Director said.

“This partnership ensures the competitions will continue to receive comprehensive exposure, through the delivery of innovative coverage to football fans in Spain.”

Currently Mediapro is the broadcast partner of UEFA, however Mediapro sublicenses the contract to Telefónica, allowing it to be broadcast on Movistar+. The new deal is directly between the UEFA and Telefónica.

“This agreement with UEFA is an important step in Movistar’s strategy linked to the world of sport,” Emilio Gayo, Executive President of Telefónica España said.

“Our Movistar+ platform continues to work after three decades to continue making football accessible in our country. A specialized team, the quality of everything surrounding the competition and differential production values are our hallmark.

“With Movistar, our client will always have the best sport and the latest technology to guarantee an added value entertainment experience, beyond the broadcasts”.

The UEFA Champions League will resume on August 7. The draws for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final for this year’s Champions League will be held on Friday in Switzerland.

Atalanta, Atlético Madrid, RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain have qualified for the quarter-finals. Chelsea / Bayern München, Napoli / Barcelona, Real Madrid / Manchester City and Olympique Lyon / Juventus are yet to finish their Round of 16 matches.

This latest Spanish rights deal comes after Telefónica locked in a new €300 million sublicensing agreement that will see rival Orange broadcast La Liga and Champions League games for the upcoming 2020/21 campaign.

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Daniel Foley is a sports junior journalist with Soccerscene. He reports widely on football policy and micro industry matters.

Melbourne City FC and Tarneit United to promote grassroots growth

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Tarneit United and Melbourne City
Image credit: Tarneit United

Melbourne City FC announced that Tarneit United Soccer Club are a Macca’s City Clubs Platinum Partner for the current 2023/24 A-Leagues season.

Melbourne City have used their partnership with McDonald’s Australia to create The Macca’s City Clubs program. This program aims to engage junior grassroots football clubs across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria with the aim to help grow football on and off the pitch.

The club seek to create purposeful long-term relationships with every club they work with and make a huge impact on the development and participation numbers of the sport.

It was originally launched in the 2021/22 A-Leagues season, and the club continues to grow the club network utilising this amazing program every season.

There are plenty of benefits for Tarneit United SC that come out of this partnership including “Coach the Coach” workshops led by our experienced Melbourne City coaches, player meet and greets, and the opportunity to take part in exclusive matchday experiences and offers.

Tarneit United President, Burhan Farah explained why this partnership would benefit the members of the club greatly.

“Tarneit United is in the heart of the west and we’re excited to partner with the best A-League club in the country. Farah mentioned in a Melbourne City press release

“A love for football is our number one driver, and by aligning our club with Melbourne City FC, we hope to inspire our coaches and players to continue to grow our game in the community.

“It’s an honour to be a Macca’s City Club Platinum Partner and we look forward to supporting Melbourne City from the stands this season.”

Melbourne City FC CEO, Brad Rowse explained the importance of growing grassroots football in Victoria.

“We’re delighted to welcome Tarneit United to the Macca’s City Club program on the eve of the 2023/24 A-Leagues season. Rowse added in a club press release.

“Supporting grassroots football is important to us at Melbourne City FC, and with the addition of Tarneit United, we now have thirteen Macca’s City Club Platinum Partners stretching right across Melbourne.

“We’re incredibly excited to partner with Tarneit United and can’t wait to give their participants plenty of unforgettable experiences and opportunities in the years ahead.”

Melbourne City through their Football School and Maccas City Clubs programs have set a standard for the other teams in the league to hopefully follow in the near future.

The importance of setting a fantastic grassroots foundation of football in the country can never be undermined and this partnership provides another great example of it.

PSG eyeing huge Parc des Princes redevelopment

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Parc des Princes revamp
Image credit: Zakarie Faibis via Wikimedia Commons

Despite uncertainties over its future at the 48,000-capacity Parc des Princes, Paris Saint-Germain is continuing to investigate possibilities for significant redevelopment work.

According to the French publication L’Équipe, PSG is considering putting a roof and a retractable pitch to the Parc des Princes as part of an ambitious expansion proposal. The stadium is owned by the City Council of Paris, and any substantial renovations would need PSG to buy the site.

PSG has many possibilities on the table, according to L’Équipe, and the club is still interested in purchasing the Stade de France. PSG must submit an offer to purchase the Stade de France by January 3.

PSG held a survey with its supporters in March about the club’s stadium alternatives, outlining four ideas. A “significant” refurbishment of the Parc des Princes, a shift to a restored Stade de France, a new stadium to the west of Paris, and a new site within a 20 kilometre radius of the Parc des Princes that may include the town of Poissy were all possibilities.

If the team is unable to execute a deal to buy the Parc des Princes, it may attempt to buy the Stade de France or relocate to one of two new locations in the city.

The French government presently owns the Stade de France through the Consortium Stade de France. In 1995, the state handed the two corporations control of the 77,083-capacity stadium under a deal with the partnership created by construction firms Vinci and Bouygues.

The agreement between Vinci and Bouygues will expire on July 1, 2025. The cost of acquiring the facility is estimated to be over $657 million, with additional expenditure necessary to transform it to the demands of a football club.

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