David Beckham and Paramount+ have formed a marketing partnership bringing alternative telecast Beckham & Friends to CBS Sports’ UEFA Champions League coverage.
The deal will give additional exposure to the “ManningCast”-esque show and increase options for UEFA Champions League viewing on Paramount+. The show will stream during both UEFA Champions League Semifinal Leg 2 matches and the UEFA Champions League Final. Beckham made the announcement Tuesday during a guest appearance on CBS Sports’ UEFA Champions League Today studio show.
“Like you guys, I love watching the game,” Beckham told the studio hosts. (Watch a clip below.) “I like watching the game a certain way” with family and friends, he added. “So, it’s going to be that kind of thing, where I’m sat there watching the games, commenting on the games with friends, talking about the games and not sometimes talking about the games.”
This deal includes exclusive “altcasts” on Paramount+ in 2025 and 2026, where Beckham will be joined by guests from the worlds of sports, media and entertainment. Paramount+ Presents Beckham & Friends will be produced by CBS Sports in collaboration with UEFA Champions League, Authentic, and Relevent Sports. The last of those entities played a key role in developing the Beckham & Friends concept.
Paramount Global in 2022 renewed its U.S. rights deal for UEFA soccer, agreeing to pay $1.5 billion for a six-year extension through 2030.
When it was known as ViacomCBS, the company emerged as the surprise winner of a previous auction for UEFA rights. The matches proved a popular draw on CBS All Access, which was expanded and rebranded as Paramount+ in 2021. Select games also have aired on Paramount networks including CBS and CBS Sports Network.
The latest extension, which runs through 2030 and also includes Europa League and the Europa Conference League, is a significant step up, the latest sports rights deal to spike due to surging demand. Its annual value rose to $250 million from the previous level of $100 million, a source told Deadline. Amazon was among the other companies reportedly pursuing UEFA.
Here is a link to Beckham’s announcement:
