Europe’s elite club competition has been on TNT Sports – formerly known as BT Sport – for the past decade. But from 2027 onwards it will be Paramount taking the reins.
Laura Woods is one of the lead Champions League night presenters on TNT
Kate Scott is the main studio anchor for CBS Sports Golazo
The US media giant has reportedly agreed a deal well in excess of what TNT Sports bosses are paying – and that in itself is almost £1BILLION.
It means punters will be forced to pay for yet another subscription service if they want to keep abreast of all competitions.
And it could also bring about a complete overhaul of the presenters and pundits synonymous with Champions League coverage in the UK.
In recent years it’s been the likes of Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Peter Crouch and Karen Carney gracing our screens – led by presenter Laura Woods.
But there’s no guarantee they’ll be kept on with a brand new broadcaster at the helm.
In fact, there’s already a seasoned Champions League contingent working under the Paramount umbrella.
CBS Sports is owned by Paramount and their programme, Golazo, broadcasts Champions League coverage to American audiences.
The CBS Sports Golazo line-up is already well-known in the UK due to the viral clips that regularly pop up on social media.
Lead presenter Kate Scott is joined in the studio by Thierry Henry, Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher to create an altogether more relaxed atmosphere than we’re used to on TNT.
Liverpool hero Carragher necked eight pints with Borussia Dortmund fans before stepping in front of live CBS cameras last year.
He then chatted with Jadon Sancho, asking him if they could go on a drinking session if Dortmund reached the Champions League final.
Then there was the time Richards cried with laughter when Rafael Leao couldn’t understand Carragher in a live video interview.
Arsenal legend Henry brings his own sense of fun and regularly has his co-stars chuckling.
Alessandro Del Piero, Peter Schmeichel, Alex Scott and Freddie Ljungberg have also featured on the CBS pundit panel.
While Jules Breach – a TNT regular – is another of their studio hosts.
It’s unclear whether Paramount will look to usher in the CBS gang once 2027 rolls around – or whether any of the current TNT brigade take their fancy.
Thierry Henry is a fixture of CBS Sports’ Champions League coverage
