Champions League moves to Paramount: how much will it cost to follow your team?

The Champions League is moving again from 2027

From the 2027–28 season through to 2030–31, Champions League football will no longer be on TNT Sports. Instead, US media company Paramount has bought the UK rights in a deal worth well over £1bn.

It’s another shake-up for fans already juggling different subscriptions to watch their team.

And with Premier League rights still split across Sky, TNT and Amazon, the big question now is how much more this will cost households.

Another subscription for fans

Paramount already runs its streaming service, Paramount+, in the UK.

This is where the Champions League is most likely to appear, although it is not yet confirmed whether matches will be on the basic tier, a higher tier, or a brand new football package.

Right now, Paramount+ has three main price levels:

• Basic with ads: £4.99 a month
• Standard: £7.99 a month
• Premium: £10.99 a month

These prices could change before 2027, especially if football is added.

This means that following your club in Europe could require:

• Sky Sports
• TNT Sports
• Amazon Prime
• Paramount+

And that is before you add other competitions, like La Liga on Premier Sports or the Women’s Champions League on DAZN.

The cost of watching football is stacking up

At today’s prices, here is what a full setup looks like:

• TV licence: about £14.50 per month
• Sky Sports: £35 per month
• TNT Sports: £30.99 per month
• Amazon Prime: £8.99 per month
• Paramount+ (current basic tier): £4.99 per month

Total: around £94.51 a month, and that is without extras like Premier Sports or Disney+ for certain competitions.

That is close to £1,100 a year once you add everything up. This will rise if Paramount+ introduces a football add-on or raises prices once the rights begin.

Why this is happening

UEFA wants to grow its income from TV rights. Revenues had slowed down, so they used a new tender process through UC3 and Relevent Football Partners to sell packages across several major countries at the same time.

The result was a bumper new deal with Paramount, plus an extended agreement with Amazon for a first-pick Tuesday match.

Sky also secured exclusive rights to every Europa League and Conference League game from 2027.

UEFA’s total broadcast income for club competitions is expected to jump by more than 20% as a result.

That extra money needs to come from somewhere, and households end up paying for it through more subscriptions.

What this means for your budget

If you follow one team, the costs can creep up fast. If you follow football in general, you are looking at several platforms just to stay up to date.

And there is another hidden cost: streaming. You need decent broadband to stream live sport smoothly, so some households might also need to upgrade their internet package.

That adds another monthly bill on top of everything else.

Will any matches be free to watch?

Paramount owns Channel 5, so there is a chance some live matches or highlights could appear there. The Champions League final must be shown free to air, so Channel 5 would be a simple option.

Nothing has been confirmed yet.

A small win for Sky Cinema customers

If you already pay for Sky Cinema, the Basic Paramount+ plan is included.

This could cover Champions League access if Paramount puts matches on the lower tier. If not, you would still need a standalone subscription or an upgrade.

It is worth comparing the cost of adding Sky Cinema against paying for Paramount+ separately once the plans are confirmed.

Simple ways to cut the cost

Rotate your subscriptions

Only pay for a platform when your team is actually playing on it. Switch month by month instead of paying for everything all year.

Look for retention deals

Sky, Virgin Media and BT often offer discounts if you ask to cancel. Savings vary, but many customers get £5 to £20 off each month.

Share within one household

Some streaming platforms let you set up separate profiles on the same plan. Check the rules first, then split costs fairly within your home.

Stick to the free matches where possible

The final will be free to air. Other highlights may appear on Channel 5. For some fans, this might be enough.

Use monthly rolling contracts

Avoid long contracts that lock you in. Rolling deals let you switch services whenever your team drops out of a competition.

What we still don’t know

We are still waiting for:

• Which tier of Paramount+ will show the matches
• Whether a dedicated football add-on will launch
• How high prices might rise before 2027
• Whether any matches will appear on Channel 5
• Whether Amazon will expand its Tuesday night coverage after 2027

Once these details are confirmed, we will update this guide.