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BT Sport and Paramount's TNT Sports Join Forces for UK Champions League Rights
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Published in Sports and Competition on Friday, November 21st 2025 at 8:04 GMT by London Evening Standard- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
- 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
Paramount’s TNT Sports Secures UK Champions League Rights – A Game‑Changer for UK Fans
The Standard’s latest sports briefing takes a close look at the newly‑announced partnership between BT Sport and Paramount Global’s TNT Sports, a deal that is set to reshape how the United Kingdom will watch the UEFA Champions League over the next few seasons. The article, published on 27 October 2023, explains how the two broadcasters have agreed to jointly hold the rights to the competition from the 2024‑25 season through to 2026‑27, a three‑year contract that will be worth an estimated £250 million to the clubs and to the UK market.
The Deal in a Nutshell
BT Sport, long the owner of the UK Champions League package, has decided to share its rights with TNT Sports – a new, high‑profile channel owned by Paramount Global (the media giant behind the U.S. streaming service Paramount+). Under the terms announced in a press release on the BT Sport website, all 60 live matches that are scheduled for the group stages, the knockout phase and the final will be shown on BT Sport and/or TNT Sports. The agreement also includes “high‑definition” studio coverage, commentary teams, and a comprehensive match‑day package that will be accessible on both BT Sport’s linear channel and its streaming app, as well as on TNT Sports’ own streaming platform.
The Standard’s article points out that while BT Sport will retain its traditional rights to the “premier” matches – such as the opening day of the group stage, the Champions League final, and a limited number of other key fixtures – TNT Sports will take the majority of the broadcast slots. In practice, this means fans can expect to find almost every Champions League game on either channel, with the streaming options making it easier for cord‑cutters to follow the competition on their devices.
Why the Move Matters
The Standard explains that the partnership is a direct response to a rapidly changing media landscape. Since the 2021‑22 season, sports rights in the UK have been subject to a fierce competition between traditional pay‑TV providers (Sky, BT Sport, Amazon) and emerging streaming platforms. The article quotes a former BT Sport presenter who says that “the days when a single channel held all the rights to a competition are almost over.” The deal is seen as a strategic move by Paramount to re‑enter the UK market after its previous exit from Premier League rights in 2021, and to position itself as a serious challenger to Sky’s long‑standing dominance.
In addition to the commercial implications, the article highlights the fan perspective. “Fans are finally getting the guarantee that they won’t have to juggle between two different subscription packages just to see a single Champions League match,” the article notes. The deal will allow fans to choose between BT Sport’s established package and TNT Sports’ potentially lower‑cost streaming option, making high‑profile European football more accessible.
The Streaming Twist
A significant part of the Standard’s write‑up discusses how the broadcasting rights will be integrated into the Paramount+ ecosystem. While BT Sport’s coverage will continue to be delivered via its own linear channels and its app, TNT Sports will offer exclusive live streams through the Paramount+ app (the UK version of the service is rebranded as “Paramount+”). This move is described as a “one‑stop shop” for fans who want to follow the Champions League on a range of devices – from smartphones and tablets to smart TVs and laptops.
The article also references a link to the official Paramount+ UK site, which provides a subscription cost of £6.99 per month for the “Sports” bundle, which includes access to all TNT Sports content. The Standard’s writers note that this price point is competitive with BT Sport’s own “Sports” subscription, which is priced at £7.99 per month. This suggests that the new partnership could push both channels to offer even more value‑add services – such as multi‑camera angles, real‑time statistics, and behind‑the‑scenes footage – to retain subscribers.
Contextualising the Rights
To provide historical context, the article follows a link to a UEFA Champions League press release that lists all scheduled fixtures for the 2024‑25 season. It shows how the new rights holder will broadcast the same 60 matches that were previously exclusive to BT Sport. Moreover, a secondary link leads to an article on the Standard’s website about the 2023–24 season, illustrating how the rights were awarded after the 2023 UEFA broadcasting awards ceremony – a move that was praised by club representatives who had previously complained about the lack of competition in the UK rights market.
The article also mentions that the deal is the first time a U.S. media company has secured the UK rights to the Champions League. It highlights that the deal will give Paramount a platform to showcase its sports content to a large European audience, potentially opening doors for further content deals, such as UEFA Europa League coverage or even the Premier League in the future.
Final Takeaway
In the Standard’s concise yet thorough recap, the key points are clear: BT Sport and Paramount’s TNT Sports will share the UK Champions League broadcasting rights for the next three seasons, with a total value of roughly £250 million. The partnership brings all 60 live matches to fans on a combination of linear channels and streaming services, potentially lowering costs and increasing accessibility. While the exact scheduling of matches between the two channels remains to be fully clarified, the article assures readers that the new arrangement will keep UK fans glued to the action, whether they prefer the familiar BT Sport package or the newer, cost‑effective TNT Sports stream. As the world of sports broadcasting continues to evolve, this partnership marks a significant milestone in how European football is delivered to millions of viewers across the United Kingdom.
Read the Full London Evening Standard Article at:
[ https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/champions-league-tnt-sports-paramount-b1259162.html ]
