NAYON, Switzerland (AP) — The Women's Champions League of European Football will soon be accessible through Disney+'s subscription service for the next five seasons, as announced in a deal involving UEFA and leading clubs on Friday.
This Saturday’s final, featuring the reigning champions Barcelona and Arsenal, marks the conclusion of a four-year broadcasting agreement that enables fans to view the matches for free on the streaming platform Dazn.
The Women’s Champions League will see an expansion to 16 teams next season, not just during the knockout phase, but as part of a unified league ranking. The Second Tier Women’s European Cup will also be unveiled.
UC3, a commercial endeavor between UEFA and the European Club Association, stated:
In a UC3 announcement, it was revealed that the broadcasts will be produced by Disney-owned ESPN, featuring “multilingual commentary and extensive pre- and post-match coverage.”
As part of the broadcasting strategy through 2030, one match will be showcased each week across numerous free broadcast networks and members of the European Broadcasting Association.
UC3 confirmed that selected matches will be accessible in countries such as France, Germany, and Spain.
The financial details of the Disney+ and EBU agreements have not been disclosed.
UEFA estimates that next season, the overall “competitive revenue” will reach 33.8 million euros ($38.4 million).
An additional 25 million euros ($28.4 million) in subsidies will also be drawn from men's competitions, including the Champions League, with UEFA contributing over 11 million euros ($12.5 million).
This initiative is expected to generate a gross prize pool of 18.2 million euros ($20.6 million) for each of the next two seasons.
The Women's European Cup teams will share a prize fund totaling 5.6 million euros ($6.4 million).
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Source: apnews.com