TVNZ confirms NFL deal, but Uefa Champions League goes to BeIN Sports

England captain Harry Kane clashes with Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during the Euro 2020 final at Wembley in July 2021 (the Uefa tournament was delayed for a year by Covid). Photo / Getty Images

TVNZ will have the rights to broadcast three weekly Sunday afternoon NFL games, all playoff games and the Super Bowl, free-to-air across TVNZ+ and its broadcast channels, the NFL [National Football League] said today.

LATEST: TVNZ sidelined as Spark sells Uefa football rights to beIN on a one-year sublicence

It will be the first time since 2007 that the state-owned broadcaster has shown NFL (American Football, or gridiron) games, which it has picked up as part of the package of content it took over from the now-defunct Spark Sport.

Fans will have three ways to access live games when the new NFL season kicks off on September 7, reflecting the way the media landscape has shifted.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady - one of the NFL's highest-profile players, now retired - in December 2022. Photo / AP

A fuller slate of NFL games will be available to Kiwis via the ESPN channels on Sky TV (and ESPN’s app, free for Sky subscribers) or via an NFL Game Pass on global streaming service DAZN. An NFL Game Pass will offer every regular and post-season game for a cost of $330 (payable in four instalments of $82.50 over the 18-week season).

Three elements of Spark Sport’s line-up were absent when its content transferred to TVNZ on July 1: English Premier League football and Formula 1 - both of which had earlier been won back by Sky - plus Uefa football (last year, Spark renewed its New Zealand-exclusive Uefa contract in a deal that included the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League and the Euro 2024 and Euro 2028 competitions).

The Champions League - which features the top-four-placed teams from the English Premier League’s previous season, plus other top teams from around Europe - is a staple of pay TV providers around the world, so the promise of accessing it free-to-air on TVNZ as part of the Spark Sport palm-off was a bonus for local fans. Ditto the inter-country Euro competitions.

So what has happened to that Uefa content? Why is it absent from TVNZ’s publicity about its new sports content?

“We are still in discussions there and we hope to update viewers soon,” a TVNZ spokeswoman told the Herald on June 8.

Today she said: “There’s still no update.”

There was an update from BeIN, however. The Qatar-based media group has picked up New Zealand rights to Uefa content, adding to its existing slate which includes the Carabao Cup, Serie A, Ligue 1, and English Football League (EFL) Championship games.

The deal came into effect on August 5.

BeIN is charging $179 for an annual pass, or $129 for those who sign up before August 19.

Sky announced a four-year deal with BeIN in September 2019, which saw BeIN content on Sky Sport, and Sky subscribers get free access to streamed content on BeIN’s app - extending a partnership between the two broadcasters that had already been in place for three years.

That deal was not renewed, BeIN said.

“BeIN SPORTS New Zealand recently parted ways with a seven-year partnership with Sky New Zealand,” the company said in a statement.

“With this development, the beIN Sports Connect OTT [”over the top” or streaming] platform now stands as the exclusive destination for fans seeking a diverse selection of live and on-demand football content.”

The Herald understands that Sky did not pursue the Uefa rights.

The 2023-24 Champions League proper kicks off on September 19. Qualifying rounds are already under way.

Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.