Champions League prize money set to rocket

The money on offer to British clubs from the Champions League is set to soar with BT Sport announcing an exclusive three year deal worth close to £900m.

On the pitch clubs playing in the competition will see their total income increase by one third while supporters will no longer be able to watch games on ITV, or coonso telly as it’s better known, or on Sky Sports.

Sky and ITV paid £400m for the current package with the new deal more than doubling the broadcasting income split between participating clubs.

BT Sport have concluded their deal with UEFA, which starts in 2015, and have given guarantees that some matches will be shown free to air, including the 2016 final, which has been the trumph card previously used by ITV which has allowed STV to show half of Celtic’s group stage matches.

Gavin Patterson, BT chief executive, said: “I am thrilled that BT Sport will be the only place where fans can enjoy all the live action from the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. Both tournaments are world class and firm favourites with many. The live rights will give a major boost to BT Sport and give people yet another reason to take our terrific service.

“BT Sport has got off to a strong start with customers enjoying what we have to offer. We have attracted millions of customers by giving sport back to the fans, and we can assure people who want to catch all the action, that European football will be far more accessible and affordable with BT.”

Commenting on the award of rights, Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA Events SA Marketing Director, said: “UEFA is delighted to welcome newcomer BT Sport to the family of UEFA Champions League rights holders. Since its launch in the summer, BT Sport has been UEFA’s partner for the UEFA Europa League and has demonstrated its ability to deliver premium sports coverage. We look forward to working with BT Sport on both competitions in the 2015-18 rights cycle.”

The current broadcast deal is worth around £400m from Sky and ITV with Celtic picking up £6.9m of the £22m they collected last season from UEFA through broadcasting deals.

This season Celtic will receive around £16m for taking part in the Champions League plus prize money based on points collected with an additional £5m on offer if they can reach the knock-out stages.

BT Sport’s move into the Champions League, which will also include exclusive Europa League coverage, is seen by many as a game charger with the virtual monopoly that Sky Sports have enjoyed under serious threat.

Sky Sports currently share live coverage of  English and Scottish domestic football with BT Sport but by clinching the rights to the Champions League it seems likely that BT Sport will make similar moves for domestic rights.

In recent seasons Sky Sports have been able to hold off the challenge from Sentanta Sports and ESPN but now for the first time in over 20 years their position as the must-have broadcaster for football fans is under threat.

The launch of BT Sport was initially viewed as a retention tool for broadband customers but their success, working alongside Virgin, now threatens the near monopoly that Sky have enjoyed with Scottish football another possible battleground.

After his squeals about Armageddon in the summer of 2012 blundering SPFL chief Neil Doncaster agreed a rock bottom deal for live football with the money involved buttons in comparison to the agreements negotiated by Rugby League and the Football League in England.

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