Soccer fans that like to watch matches in bars or at restaurants can rejoice.
Beginning today, UEFA Champions League matches will be available for commercial establishments to air after CBS Sports reached a deal with EverPass, a company that provides live sports streaming content to places like bars and restaurants.
According to a report by Mollie Cahillane of Sports Business Journal, the multiyear agreement will give businesses that use EverPass access to all Champions League matches, and CBS Sports’ whip-around program The Golazo Show.
Individuals that wish to watch Champions League games outside of commercial venues can still subscribe to Paramount+.
EverPass has made a name for itself by distributing live sports that are streaming-only and making them available at bars and restaurants where many fans like to enjoy games. The company has inked similar deals with Amazon’s Thursday Night Football and Netflix for its Christmas Day NFL games.
The main competitor in the space is DirecTV for Business, which has secured rights for properties like Apple TV+’s Friday Night Baseball package.
Given that soccer culture often lends itself to group viewing, like supporters groups meeting at the same bar to watch games every week, and that certain fans would rather watch in a bar to avoid paying for a Paramount+ subscription, this is a deal that likely makes a lot of sense for all parties involved, including the fans.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.