According to Football Insider, Uefa is looking to beef up its media rights department ahead of the start of the expanded Champions League in 2024-25, which will benefit teams like 2022 finalists Liverpool.
The governing body of European football announced in May that the Champions League would expand from 32 to 36 teams, with clubs expected to play 10 group-stage matches in a Swiss-system format.
Broadcasters in nine territories have announced new TV deals for the 2024-27 rights cycle – most notably in the United Kingdom, United States, and France.
But 95 more – including in the lucrative German, Italian, Spanish, MENA, and South American markets – are yet to strike agreements to air the competition.
A source close to Uefa has told Football Insider that the organization wants to make several new additions to its media rights unit in Nyon, Switzerland in order to squeeze as much cash as possible from TV companies.
The central pot distributed among teams competing in Uefa competitions is in excess of £ 2 billion in 2022-23, with the vast majority of that cash going to Champions League teams.
The likes of Liverpool receive a flat fee for participating in the group stages as well as a merit payment, coefficient payment, and additional cash dished out in accordance with the value of the UK TV deal.
Per finance expert Swiss Ramble, the Merseysiders earned an estimated £103m on route to the final in 2021-22 where they were beaten by 13-time champions Real Madrid.
A run to the closing throes of the competition post-2024 will see Liverpool hit the jackpot if Uefa’s media rights department succeeds in bartering for bigger broadcast contracts in exchange for more televised matches.
Uefa’s commercial department is also seeking to add to its roll call of talent, although negotiations with broadcasters are the priority at this stage.
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