Fans are only just realising Champions League football will be shown by new broadcasters this season

 

The Champions League will have a new format in the 24/25 season.

The UEFA Champions League will be shown by new broadcasters during the 24/25 season.

Since 2015, all Champions League matches have been shown on TNT Sports, previously known as BT Sport.

They managed to win exclusive rights to Europe’s premier club competition from the likes of ITV and Sky Sports.

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However, ahead of the 24/25 season, two more broadcasters have secured rights to show coverage of the competition.

Amazon Prime Video will show 17 first-pick Champions League matches on Tuesday night, in what will be their first-ever season of providing live coverage of the competition.

And, in significant news for terrestrial TV viewers, BBC will show highlights of the competition with a special Wednesday edition of Match of the Day – the first time the Champions League will be shown by the broadcaster since 1994.

BBC previously had an association with the competition since the inaugural European Cup final in 1956, but ITV took over the rights after the 1994 final, which saw AC Milan beat Barcelona 4-0.

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Getty

TNT Sports will still hold exclusive rights to show the Europa League and Europa Conference League.

The new rights deal will span between 2024 and 2027, meaning the trio of broadcasters will show at least the first three seasons of the Champions League in its brand-new format.

The number of teams will be increased from 32 to 36 teams, while clubs will participate in a single group stage ‘league’, rather than the traditional group stage that is currently in use.

Following the group stage, all teams will then be formatted into a table with the top eight sides automatically qualifying for the round of 16 while clubs finishing between ninth and 24th will have to enter a play-off phrase for the eight remaining places.

Once that process is done, the Champions League will proceed as normal with a two-legged round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final before the eventual final.

On Wednesday night, the current holders of the Champions League, Real Madrid, will be taking on Europa League winners Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup final, held in Warsaw, Poland.