Television rights for the Champions League in the UK are set for a big increase when the rights come on the market later this year, according to forecasts by TV Sports Markets.
In a new report, 'UK Football and Rugby Viewing, 2006-07', which compares viewing figures and rights fees for the UK’s top football and rugby union properties, it is shown that Champions League rights are arguably undervalued in the present deal and the property has plenty of room for rights-fee growth.
A similar increase to the 42 per cent rise generated by the Football Association for FA Cup and England international matches earlier this year would result in Champions League rights fees rising from £85 million a season at present to over £120 million. The new deal will cover the three seasons from 2009-10 to 2011-12.
The FA’s increase came about because of competition, largely caused by new entrant Setanta competing in a pay-television market previously dominated by British Sky Broadcasting. And the Team Marketing agency, which sells Champions League rights on behalf of UEFA will be hoping to take advantage of the new BSkyB-Setanta competition but also the rivalry between ITV and the BBC, after ITV snatched FA Cup and England rights from the BBC back in May.
But an analysis of television audiences and rights fee payment for Champions League matches shows that, even without the rivalries, the competition should bring in an increase similar to the FA deal. ITV at present pays about £3.2 million per match night, attracting an average 6.35 million viewers for flagship free-to-air channel ITV1 in 2006-07, as well as good audiences for digital channel ITV4. Last season’s audiences were the highest for ITV since 2002-03. ITV’s Champions League fee compares with an estimated £3.9 million that it will pay for a first-choice FA Cup match under its new deal with the English Football Association, starting in 2008-09. First-choice FA Cup matches on the BBC last season drew an average 6.79 million viewers.
BSkyB pays £43 million a season for its share of Champions League rights. Assuming BSkyB’s fee is centred around the exclusive first-choice match on Wednesday evenings, it pays about £3.3 million per match night. Last season BSkyB’s first-choice Wednesday match attracted 1.4 million viewers. That compares with an average 1.18 million viewers for BSkyB’s Premier League coverage on Sky Sports last season. BSkyB will pay £4.8 million for a Premier League match this year.
This analysis is provided by the fortnightly newsletter, TV Sports Markets, which specialises in exclusive and in-depth news and data analysis from the television sports rights business. TV Sports Markets also publishes reports, including the new UK Football and Rugby Viewing 2006-07, which details match-by-match viewing, audience analysis and rights-deal information of all domestic leagues and cup competitions, European tournaments and national team matches involving UK football and rugby union teams.
