LiveScore bags exclusive Champions League streaming deal for Ireland
Landmark agreement includes 104 games broadcast exclusively and free-to-view on the popular live scoring app
LiveScore has secured a three-year rights deal to livestream all 137 matches of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) to users in the Republic of Ireland.
The agreement, which kicks-off at the start of the UCL in September 2021, will see the London-based live scores service become the exclusive free-to-air broadcaster of 104 matches per season.
The remaining 33 encounters, including the Champions League final, will be livestreamed via LiveScore but on a non-exclusive arrangement.
LiveScore will also stream the UEFA Super Cup, a one-off game contested by the winners of the UCL and UEFA Europa League, and also provide access to additional on-demand content including match highlights.
As well as being available to view on iOS and Android devices, users in Ireland will have the option to ‘cast’ the live action from their phones and tablets to their TV screens.
Ric Leask, marketing director at LiveScore, said he was “extremely excited to announce this significant new rights deal” for fully free-to-air coverage of the UCL.
UEFA’s marketing director, Guy-Laurent Epstein, said: “UEFA is delighted to welcome LiveScore as the new broadcaster of the UEFA Champions League rights in the Republic of Ireland.
“We are excited to see the innovative coverage it will deliver and bring comprehensive coverage of the best of European club football to Irish fans for free.”
Since launching its streaming offering in June 2020 as sports began to return following lockdowns due to the pandemic, LiveScore has become a go-to destination for live action.
By the time the curtain came down on the 2020-21 campaign, the company had streamed more than 1,250 matches across 15 leagues and competitions to viewers in Ireland. This included more than 300 matches from Italy’s Serie A alone.
Next season LiveScore will show 306 games from Serie A, as well as 102 matches from Portugal’s Primeira Liga and 142 from the Eredivisie in the Netherlands.
LiveScore came 12th in the EGR Power Affiliate 2021 rankings published this week, one year after making its debut when the firm finished 20th.
The sports media business also recently Portugal and Juventus star signed Cristiano Ronaldo as a global brand ambassador.