Sources with knowledge of the talks,who spoke anonymously for commercial confidentiality reasons,said UEFA has started contacting rival bidders,including streaming service Stan,to see whether they are still interested in acquiring the rights. The talks have occurred,the sources said,because Sports Flick has been unable to get financial guarantees to support the $60 million three-year deal.
A consultant involved in the bid,who was also speaking on the condition of anonymity,said there were “a significant number of extra checks and balances” required by banks and UEFA,and key meetings in the days ahead which could prove decisive. “Being a startup,there are significant complexities and challenges which have prolonged the process,and are not as straightforward as the public would expect,” the consultant said. Sports Flick declined to comment.
Stan is yet to decide whether it would take on the UEFA Champions League if Sports Flick’s bid collapses,but such a deal could fit in well if it secured the exclusive rights to other football packages it is bidding for - including the A-League and W-League,Socceroos and Matildas matches,as well as the 2023 Women’s World Cup,which will be co-hosted by Australia. Stan is owned by Nine Entertainment Co,the owner of this masthead.
Sports Flick acquired the UEFA Champions League rights via a blind auction-style tender,beating out incumbent Optus Sport,which has built its offering on acquiring high-profile football tournaments. It was the second major football deal secured by Sports Flick,which announced it had stolen South Korea’s K-League from Optus earlier this year. It also has the rights to the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
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Should the deal with Sports Flick fall over,it would validate some of the concerns of media sources who were sceptical about the streaming service’s background and financial situation as well as its ability to streaming such a popular event. It would also jeopardise 27-year-old founder Dylan Azzopardi’s plans to create a digital “home of football” in Australia.
In an interview withThe Sydney Morning Herald andThe Age earlier this month,Mr Azzopardi said all the company’s money comesfrom its current ownership group,which includes his brother Justin,chief financial officer Karla Pichardo,commercial director Colin Kleyweg,and Blacktown local Aziz Khalaf.