Ziggo Sport purchase these UEFA rights in November 2022, with Ben's team closely involved in the process. “UEFA has a comprehensive tendering procedure, and you never know what will happen after submitting your bid. It’s a nerve-wrecking few days, like waiting for your exam results! At the same time, you’re already thinking ahead. If this is successful, we’re going to have a lot of work to do.”
Dream package
The UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League. That’s the full UEFA package that Ziggo Sport has exclusive rights to broadcast. “These competitions represent the pinnacle of football, with the Champions League final as the jewel in the crown. In the Netherlands, these rights have traditionally been spilt, usually between up to four parties. Now, we have it all under one roof. It’s a huge boost for the Ziggo Sport brand.”
Juggling scenarios
The UEFA package amounts to a whopping 550 matches per year. “These are played on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The competitions start with a group stage, followed by a knockout phase, and then the finals. We have a huge amount of content, especially in the first few months of the football season.” Planning for the entire year is impossible, Ben explains. “With variations in kick-off times, draws and placements, there can be as many as 20 different scenarios for a UEFA match evening. So, metaphorically speaking, we can’t just play long balls – there’s a lot of intricate dribbling involved.”
Planning under pressure
Creating broadcast schedules is always about putting the puzzle pieces together and planning as far ahead as possible, Ben says. “We’re already planning as much as possible months in advance, with priority given to live matches. After that, we slot in other matches, talk shows, magazines, highlights and other content. Once that's set, it's time for promos, commercials, opening sequences and billboards. You know the ones: 'This match is brought to you by...'
About three weeks before the broadcast, the schedule has to be finalised. But the real time pressure comes in the days leading up to the broadcast. “If there are any last-minute changes, we have to adjust the schedule at lightning speed and inform all the producers and communications team. And, of course, if one match is added, something else has to make way for that. In this sense, our work is like a sudoku puzzle: if you change one number, it affects the whole puzzle.”
Pulling out all the stops
“Ziggo Sport originally consisted of six TV channels, but now we are expanding significantly. With the range of online content via our website and the Ziggo GO app, we’re increasing that to no less than 18 channels and streams.” Sometimes, you can see as many as 18 games at once across these platforms. It’s impressive, but potentially overwhelming. “With so much content, it’s crucial that everything is clearly organised and we guide our viewers well. We use our online channels for this – from the website and app to social media. Our new Ziggo Sport studio will also help you to navigate all our content. We’ll using a graphical layer to stream all sorts of match information across your screen.”
Free football
The exclusive UEFA rights come with responsibility, Ben adds. By law, at least three quarters of the Dutch population must be able to watch matches involving Dutch clubs for free. “With Ziggo Sport (Channel 14), we already reach about half of all Dutch households. For all other football fans, we’re making the Ziggo GO app accessible. You just need to register for Ziggo Sport Free once and any football fan can enjoy these matches on their smart TV, tablet or smartphone – completely free.”