BBC retains Champions League rights until 2031 as part of four-season deal.
The BBC has secured the rights to broadcast highlights of the UEFA Champions League for a further four seasons, with the agreement set to run from the 2025-26 campaign until the end of the 2030-31 season. The new deal comes as US media giant Paramount won the UK rights to show Champions League matches for four years starting in 2027.
According to Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, the decision is a "game-changer" for football fans in the UK who want to see every goal and moment that matters. The deal will provide a free-to-air option for fans to watch highlights from Europe's elite club competition.
Fans can look forward to watching Champions League highlights on BBC TV, iPlayer, Sounds, radio, and digital platforms starting from 22:00 on Wednesday of match weeks. In addition, the BBC Sport website and app will also offer comprehensive coverage of the competition through live text coverage, news, reports, and in-depth analysis.
A Match of the Day programme will air on BBC One after the news on Wednesday nights, bringing viewers all the goals, reaction, and analysis from that week's Champions League fixtures. The BBC Radio 5 Live will continue to have live commentary of selected matches.
The extended deal complements the BBC's existing domestic football rights which include Premier League highlights and live FA Cup coverage.
The BBC has secured the rights to broadcast highlights of the UEFA Champions League for a further four seasons, with the agreement set to run from the 2025-26 campaign until the end of the 2030-31 season. The new deal comes as US media giant Paramount won the UK rights to show Champions League matches for four years starting in 2027.
According to Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, the decision is a "game-changer" for football fans in the UK who want to see every goal and moment that matters. The deal will provide a free-to-air option for fans to watch highlights from Europe's elite club competition.
Fans can look forward to watching Champions League highlights on BBC TV, iPlayer, Sounds, radio, and digital platforms starting from 22:00 on Wednesday of match weeks. In addition, the BBC Sport website and app will also offer comprehensive coverage of the competition through live text coverage, news, reports, and in-depth analysis.
A Match of the Day programme will air on BBC One after the news on Wednesday nights, bringing viewers all the goals, reaction, and analysis from that week's Champions League fixtures. The BBC Radio 5 Live will continue to have live commentary of selected matches.
The extended deal complements the BBC's existing domestic football rights which include Premier League highlights and live FA Cup coverage.
news just in: UK fans gonna miss out on live Champions League matches due to blackout rules, but at least we got the highlights 
on BBC for free 
guess that's better than nothing tho? not sure why they gotta play match of the day after the news, feels like a total snooze fest 
anyway, just another reason to stay home and watch football from the comfort of our own homes instead of shelling out big bucks for tickets or flights 
. It's a great win for football fans in the UK who love to watch all the exciting matches and goals. I mean, who doesn't want to see every highlight from Europe's top clubs? 
The fact that it'll be free-to-air on BBC TV and iPlayer is also a major bonus – it's like they're giving us a little present 
. And with the Match of the Day show on Wednesday nights, I'm sure we'll get all the latest goals and reaction in no time 
. The new deal might mean some changes to how BBC covers other sports, but this one definitely benefits football fans. Can't wait to see more Champions League action on our screens! 
but what about the UK fans who already have to pay for Paramount's exclusive matches? shouldnt there be more options for us to watch all the action without breaking the bank? 
gotta say, this new deal is a total game-changer for UK footy fans 
And yeah, it's super convenient that we can watch highlights on iPlayer and Sounds - no more worrying about finding live streams online 
. Plus, the BBC Radio 5 Live is always a reliable source for live commentary, so I'm all set for match nights. The only thing I'd say is that maybe they should think of something better to do with Match of the Day, but overall, this deal is a win-win for fans! 
so yeah i think this is a no-brainer for the bbc, they're basically locking in a huge chunk of tv money for 4 more years - that's gotta be sweet 
. but at the same time i'm kinda bummed it's gonna mean less champs league matches on us streaming services... maybe we'll get some extra freebies like the premier league highlights tho 
? and wow, a match of the day programme after the news is genius 
can't wait to see all the goals and analysis every wednesday night 
. The BBC does do some great stuff though, Match of the Day is always on point 
!
. Just learned that the BBC is keeping the Champions League rights for another 4 years, but what really gets me is that we're just gonna be bombarded with ads even more 
I'm not sure why everyone is getting so worked up about this news. I mean, it's just a deal for the BBC to show some Champions League highlights. It's not like they're paying a huge fee or anything. And it's actually pretty cool that fans will have access to free-to-air coverage. 
, i mean who doesn't love watching champs league highlights on tv every week? the bbc's got a sweet deal now that'll keep us UK fans entertained for another four years and more. it's like they're giving us an endless supply of football goodness 
. and yeah it's a game-changer as alex kay-jelski said, we'll get to see all the goals, drama, and highlights for free on bbc iplayer sounds and radio, can't wait!