Cyfrowy Polsat wins Polish Champions League battle

Polish free and pay TV provider Cyfrowy Polsat has secured the rights to Champions League and Europa League football in the country. The rights were previously held by the rival pay broadcaster, TVN-backed nc+.

Cyfrowy Polsat has secured the rights for the 2018-21 seasons to the two competitions for TV, internet and mobile distribution.

The tournaments will be exclusively available on Polsat’s channels and pay TV platform. The broadcaster will air 343 matches each season.

Telewizja Polsat and Cyfrowy Polsat board member Maciej Stec said that the deal was a strategic investment by the company, and confirmed its commitment to investing in football at the highest level.

Polsat’s win is a major setback for nc+, which has also lost rights to top-tier international football competitions including the Primera Division, Serie A and Ligue 1. In addition to Polsat, the broadcaster has faced competition for rights from UK-based sports broadcaster Eleven, which recently secured Bundesliga rights in Poland in addition to other international tournaments.

Nc+ said that had offered a significant amount and guaranteed wide accessibility of matches in an attempt to secure the Champions League and Europa League rights, but had been unsuccessful. It pointed out that the two tournaments will remain on its platform for the 2017-18 season.

Nc+ retains a number of key rights including to Polish and Spanish football, as well as international speedway and basketball.

The operator has also secured exclusive rights to Champions League volleyball for the 2018-20 seasons. Martches from the tournament will be aired on the platform’s sports channels, on mobile and online. These rights were previously held by Cyfrowy Polsat.