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TNT Sports Loses Champions League Rights to Sky, Ending Decade-Long Partnership

  //sports-competition.news-articles.net/content/2 .. ights-to-sky-ending-decade-long-partnership.html
  Published in Sports and Competition on Friday, November 21st 2025 at 2:29 GMT by IBTimes UK

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TNT Sports Faces the End of its Champions League Era as New Broadcast Deals Reshape the Landscape

In the rapidly shifting world of sports broadcasting, the 2023‑24 season marked a turning point for TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport). As the company lost its long‑standing rights to the UEFA Champions League in the United Kingdom, it is now navigating a new era of content strategy, new revenue streams, and an uncertain future for its flagship brand. This article breaks down the key elements of the story reported by the International Business Times and the broader context gleaned from the network’s linked sources.

1. The End of a Legacy: Champions League Rights Move to Sky

For almost a decade, BT Sport had been the home of the Champions League for UK audiences, paying an estimated £3.7 million per game in the 2015‑16 season and later reaching a total package of about £2.5 billion for a five‑year deal that ran through the 2023‑24 season. In a highly publicised announcement, the league’s commercial arm confirmed that the remaining rights would be awarded to Sky Sports, ending BT Sport’s 10‑year run. The decision was part of a larger realignment of football rights in the UK, with Sky securing the 2023‑24 Champions League and the 2023‑24 UEFA Europa League while Amazon Prime Video picked up the 2024‑25 UEFA Nations League.

The shift to Sky comes at a time when broadcasters are looking to streamline their sports offerings and consolidate high‑profile events under one umbrella. Sky’s acquisition of the Champions League package, valued at roughly £2.8 billion for the next two seasons, positions the network as the primary European football destination in the UK. The International Business Times note that Sky will broadcast the entire tournament across multiple channels, including the flagship Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 2, and the new Sky Sports Football channel.

2. TNT Sports’ Financial Response

TNT Sports, now under the umbrella of Warner Bros. Discovery, has publicly acknowledged the financial impact of losing the Champions League rights. In an interview with the Financial Times, TNT Sports’ chief executive, Tom Glover, highlighted that the loss would translate into a short‑term revenue gap of roughly £200 million per season. However, he emphasised that the company has been diversifying its portfolio to mitigate the blow.

Key points from Glover’s statements include:

• Investment in Alternative Football Content: TNT Sports will continue to invest heavily in the Premier League (which they hold rights to until 2026‑27), the EFL Championship, and lower‑tier competitions such as the EFL Cup and the FA Cup.
• Global Streaming Expansion: With Warner Bros. Discovery’s global streaming arm, TNT Sports is developing “TNT Sports Now,” a subscription‑based service that will offer live and on‑demand coverage of its rights‑held events. The service is projected to generate an additional £30 million annually.
• Non‑Football Sports: The network is also looking to broaden its portfolio with other high‑viewership sports, including rugby, cricket, and Formula 1. A recent partnership with the British American Football League has already added a new streaming series.

3. The Wider Rights Market and Future Deals

The Champions League deal is only the latest chapter in the complex web of sports broadcasting contracts in the UK. The International Business Times article, supplemented by linked sources, outlines several trends shaping the market:

The table illustrates that while TNT Sports retains its Premier League stake, the bulk of the high‑profile European club competitions are consolidating under Sky and Amazon. This trend signals a potential pivot for TNT Sports toward more niche content or regional coverage, as well as a greater emphasis on live streaming.

4. Audience Impact and Viewership Trends

From a viewer perspective, the transition has significant implications:

• Access to Champions League Games: UK fans will now rely on Sky, which offers multi‑channel coverage but also requires a subscription to its “Sky Sports 3” package. Amazon Prime Video’s involvement in the Nations League, while offering a different product, introduces a streaming‑first model that may alienate traditional TV audiences.
• Competitive Landscape for Streaming: TNT Sports’ streaming ambitions will compete with Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ (which will eventually acquire the rights to the FA Cup). The market is thus moving toward fragmented offerings rather than a single, all‑encompassing sports network.
• Cost Pressure: As rights fees climb, broadcasters may pass costs onto consumers through higher subscription rates. In a survey referenced in the article, 36 % of UK football fans expressed concern over the rising cost of sports packages.

5. Strategic Implications for Warner Bros. Discovery

The parent company’s broader strategy for TNT Sports seems to involve a mix of consolidation, digital innovation, and diversification:

1. Digital First: “TNT Sports Now” will be positioned as a premium streaming service, tapping into the global push toward “over‑the‑top” (OTT) platforms. Warner Bros. Discovery is leveraging its existing streaming infrastructure to provide a seamless user experience.

2. Cross‑Platform Partnerships: Collaborations with sports leagues on a global basis (e.g., EFL International) will help create a pipeline of exclusive content. Warner Bros. Discovery also plans to partner with technology providers like Roku and Amazon Fire TV for broader device support.

3. Brand Refresh: Under the new TNT Sports moniker, the company is re‑branding its presentation style and graphics to match the modern, digital‑first ethos. This is an attempt to differentiate itself from Sky’s long‑established sports brand.

4. Risk Mitigation: Diversifying away from football-exclusive rights reduces financial exposure. By investing in rugby, cricket, and motorsport, TNT Sports can spread risk across different sports demographics.

6. Conclusion

The 2023‑24 season will be remembered not only for the Champions League’s dramatic matches but also for the seismic shift it triggered in the UK broadcasting landscape. TNT Sports’ loss of the Champions League rights to Sky signals the end of an era and the start of a strategic reorientation. With a clear focus on the Premier League, streaming innovation, and diversification into other sports, the network aims to maintain its relevance in an increasingly fragmented market.

As the rights deals continue to evolve, fans and industry observers alike will watch closely to see whether TNT Sports can successfully pivot from a traditional football broadcaster to a multi‑sport, multi‑platform powerhouse. The coming years will determine whether the network’s new strategy can withstand the dual pressures of high rights costs and a rapidly changing consumption model, or whether the shift will ultimately lead to a further consolidation of football’s most prized competitions under a handful of dominant broadcasters.