UC3 opens exclusive talks with Ziggo Sport for Netherlands UEFA men’s club rights

UC3, the joint venture between UEFA and European Football Clubs (EFC), has agreed to enter an exclusive negotiation period with Ziggo Sport for media rights to all UEFA men’s club competitions in the Netherlands for the 2027–31 cycle.The move follows a tender process run by UC3 and its agency, Relevent Football Partners, with UC3 saying no further comment would be made while talks continue.Ziggo Sport, which is owned by VodafoneZiggo, separately confirmed it expects to retain exclusive rights in the market until the end of the 2030-31 season, keeping the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League ‘under one roof’ for Dutch viewers.Stephen van Rooyen, chief executive of VodafoneZiggo, said: “Keeping this great package of football rights is good news for our customers. It is part of our strategy to offer the best content and become the most loved network in the Netherlands.”Marcel Beerthuizen, director of Ziggo Sport, added: “With this step we confirm our position as the sports channel of the Netherlands. From our love of football we can continue to invest in high-quality and innovative broadcasts and in cooperation with the clubs.”UC3 controls and manages the strategic marketing, sales and delivery of commercial rights for UEFA club competitions, spanning media, sponsorship and licensing inventory. Relevent Football Partners, a subsidiary of Relevent, is tasked with supporting UC3 on the worldwide marketing and sale of rights for UEFA men’s club competitions, including the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, as well as the UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Youth League and UEFA Futsal Champions League.If agreed, the Netherlands deal would be part of the first full rights cycle run under UC3’s model for UEFA men’s club competitions, with the organisation seeking to balance long-term value for clubs with evolving distribution and packaging strategies across major markets.