Champions League becomes ever-more lucrative

18 May 2009 | By Adam Fraser

Contract summary

Length of contract: 3 years
Annualised value: US$7 million
Overall value: US$21 million

Uefa has done another Champions League and Europa League joint deal that will bring millions more dollars into European club soccer.

The agreement covers broadcast rights in Belgium for the competitions over three seasons from this summer until 2012. It will see the competitions, Uefa's two continental club cups, screened on free-to-air television as well as via pay-television and mobile platforms.

RTL will show the first-choice match live, in French, on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights every matchweek, as well as highlights of the other games. The broadcaster will also screen the final of the Uefa Champions League each season. Be TV will show the remaining matches and highlights via its pay-television channels, also in French.

AB Groupe will show the first-choice games for the Europa League, the new name and format of the Uefa Cup, in French, while VRT will screen the same games in Flemish. A number of other games will be shown in Flemish by EXQI Sport, and will also appear online, while a separate announcement regarding the award of UEFA Champions League rights in the Flemish language will follow in due course.

"Uefa is delighted to confirm that it is renewing its successful partnerships with RTL and Be TV on the Uefa Champions League and with VRT on the Uefa Europa League," said a statement from European soccer's governing body. "At the same time Uefa is excited at the prospect of working with new partners in the form of AB Groupe and EXQI Sport on the Uefa Europa League. These deals will deliver significant exposure for both competitions in Belgium via television, internet and mobile.

English champions Manchester United will meet Barcelona in the final of this season's competition later this month.

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