UEFA Agree Scandinavian Rights Deals for Champs/Europa League

Having signed an agreement with Olympic rights distributor Sportfive last week for the 2014 Winter and 2016 Summer Games, Modern Times Group (MTG), has become the latest European broadcaster to renew its rights to show live Champions League soccer in Scandinavia.

MTG has secured rights to broadcast the UEFA Champions League competition until 2015 on free- and pay-TV, mobile devices and online, with Danish champions FC Copenhagen impressing in last year’s competition to make it through a group which included eventual winners Barcelona.

MTG, which has broadcast the competition since 1993, will broadcast all games on its Scandinavian TV channels and via video streaming service Viaplay.

In Sweden, Tuesday night games will air on free-TV channel TV10 and Wednesday matches on pay-TV station Viasat Football. Norwegian viewers can watch Tuesday’s games on pay-TV channel Viasat Football and the Wednesday ties on free-to-air Viasat 4. In Denmark, free-TV channel TV3+ will get the first pick of matches on both nights, while the second-choice games will be available on TV2 Sport, a joint venture between MTG and TV2.

Meanwhile, European soccer’s governing body UEFA has also announced an agreement which sees 365 Media secure the Icelandic rights to the competition, as well as the Europa League from 2012-15.

365 Media will deliver comprehensive coverage of each competition and will broadcast at least ten UEFA Champions League live matches and highlights in each match week on their family of channels (Channel 2 Sport, Channel 2 Sport 3, Channel 2 Sport 4, Channel 2 Sport 5 and Channel 2 Sport 6).

With regard to the UEFA Europa League, 365 Media will broadcast a minimum of ten live matches each match week, five from the early kick-off slot and five from the late kick-off slot.