SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
LiveScore is set to stream the UEFA Champions League on a free-to-air basis from next season, after striking a ‘landmark’ deal to show 137 matches on its app for iOS and Android devices.
Under the terms of the three-year arrangement, the real-time updates provider will serve as the exclusive Irish free-to-air broadcaster of 104 UCL fixtures per season in Ireland. The remaining 33 ties, including the UEFA Champions League final, will also be live-streamed on a non-exclusive basis.
Through the deal – announced less than a year since LiveScore introduced free-to-air live-streamed football within its app – users will be able to watch the matches on their mobile or tablet devices, with the further option to ‘cast’ the action to their TV screens.
“We are extremely excited to announce this significant new rights deal, which will provide fully free-to-air live coverage of every single UEFA Champions League match to football fans in Ireland,” remarked Ric Leask, Marketing Director at LiveScore. “We look forward to being there for every step of the season, as we bring our users closer to the action with our full offering of live-streamed matches and supporting content.”
By the conclusion of the current 2020/21 campaign, more than 1,250 matches across 15 different leagues and competitions had been streamed by LiveScore within Ireland this season, including comprehensive coverage of Italy’s top-flight Serie A.
Further to the 137 UEFA Champions League fixtures, the package also includes live broadcast of the UEFA Super Cup.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, Marketing Director at UEFA, noted: “UEFA is delighted to welcome LiveScore as the new broadcaster of UEFA Champions League rights in the Republic of Ireland. We are excited to see the innovative coverage it will deliver and to bring comprehensive coverage of the best of European club football to Irish fans for free.”
In addition to live-streamed match coverage, the latest successful rights acquisition by LiveScore in partnership with SARAN Media Group provides additional content including match highlights, as well as further on-demand content.
