The tournament underwent major changes last season with the arrival of the ‘League Phase’ format. ..Continue Reading
Now in its second year, the revamped competition has replaced the old group stage system.
The ‘League Phase’ brings more matches to the Champions League calendar, increasing financial returns.
UEFA are now exploring additional concepts to further enhance revenue.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the Champions League will kick off with a single fixture and could include an opening ceremony.
Starting from the 2027/28 campaign, the tournament will begin with the reigning champions hosting a match as the sole fixture on that night.
According to the report, the first game of Europe’s top club competition will feature an opening ceremony, part of a new commercial initiative led by US-based agency Relevent.
After the Tuesday night opener, the remaining matches will be spread across Wednesday and Thursday.
‘Setting the first game aside is part of a strategy to increase value and could see some of the planet’s biggest names from the world of music to perform in what would become an event’, according to the Daily Mail.
UEFA’s planned format update follows news that tenders for broadcasting rights from 2027 onward will be issued in the coming weeks.
Relevent, tasked with marketing the rights, aims to offer priority picks for each round of Champions League fixtures to global streaming services like Amazon Prime and Netflix to drive up earnings.
At the same time, bids will be invited from broadcasters in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, with the goal of generating approximately £4.3 billion annually.
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