Stan has entered into a major multi-year partnership agreement with the Union of European Football Associations. The deal secures exclusive broadcast rights to every match of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League and UEFA Youth League, alongside rights to the UEFA Super Cup, for the next three seasons.
The Australian broadcast rights have previously been held by Optus Sport which is currently broadcasting the delayed Euro 2020 competition.
Every match of the UEFA club competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, will stream ad-free, live and on demand exclusively on Stan’s add-on sport package Stan Sport, with a significant number of matches to stream in 4K Ultra HD.
The UEFA Champions League features many of the world’s best players as they compete for the European club football crown. The who’s who of global superstars includes Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah, Manuel Neuer, Kylian Mbappé, Kevin De Bruyne, Virgil van Dijk, Robert Lewandowski, and more.
Amongst those to have qualified for the Group Stage of the 2021-22 tournament are defending UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea, alongside AC Milan, Ajax Amsterdam, Atlético Madrid, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Juventus, Lille, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Real Madrid, Sevilla, Sporting Lisbon, Villarreal, and many more of Europe’s best clubs.
In addition to the UEFA Champions League, Stan will also broadcast every match of the UEFA Europa League and the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League.
Clubs that have directly qualified for the Group Stage of the 2021-22 UEFA Europa League include: Bayern Leverkusen, Braga, Eintracht Frankfurt, Lazio, Leicester City, Lokomotiv Moscow, Lyon, Marseille, Napoli, Real Betis, Real Sociedad and West Ham United. Tottenham Hotspur and Roma are favoured to win qualification for the inaugural 2021-22 UEFA Europa Conference League, with the winner guaranteed a spot in next season’s UEFA Europa League.
Stan acting chief executive officer Martin Kugeler said: “Today’s multi-year partnership announcement with UEFA reflects Stan’s commitment to bringing premium sports to Australian fans. Since Stan Sport launched in February, we have been delighted with the way Australians have taken up the service. The addition of the UEFA club competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, represents a unique strategic opportunity that will continue the momentum for Stan Sport and aligns directly with the Nine group sports strategy.
“Featuring the most outstanding players in the sport, the UEFA club competitions bring together the best clubs for more than 400 matches of world-class football. We can’t wait to showcase the most prestigious club football tournaments in the world and we thank UEFA for its trust in Stan to deliver their iconic football products to Australia.”
Stan Sport’s exclusive UEFA coverage will begin with the 2021-22 UEFA Super Cup match between 2020-21 UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea and Villarreal, winners of the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League – kicking off on Thursday, 12 August (AEST), with Stan Sport’s live broadcast time to be announced.
Stan’s add-on sport package is available for $10 a month and consumers can subscribe now to get a free trial.
See also: TV Guide: Wimbledon 2021 on 9Gem, 9Now, and Stan Sport