Celtic provided with a wake-up call with a possible £4.4bn Netflix and Champions League deal

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Celtic’s failure to reach this season’s Champions League didn’t go down well with the supporters.

The worst part of it all is that the Celtic Park faithful saw it coming a mile off, so whilst the Hoops’ loss to Kairat Almaty in August was embarrassing, it wasn’t entirely surprising.

That should be enough of a wake-up call for the powers that be at Celtic, so should the possible changes, with TV rights, that could be around the corner involving Europe’s elite competition.

The UEFA Champions League is one of the most-watched competitions in the world, but there could be a huge shake-up on the horizon.

• READ MORE: Fans told which Champions League pot Celtic could land in next season

Netflix set to bid for Champions League games

In British football, ITV Sport and Sky Sports used to have the rights to broadcast UEFA Champions League matches, but now that’s in the hands of TNT Sports, formerly BT Sports, as well as Amazon showing matches on the odd occasion.

But, according to Times Sport, and a report from Martyn Ziegler, Netflix are ‘set to bid for Champions League games’ – and it could generate up to ‘£4.4bn per year’ for UEFA.

It is said Netflix are set to bid to show ‘one Champions League match per round’ in what would be a ‘shake-up’ of UEFA’s broadcast deals.

UEFA are set to ‘change the way they sell rights’, starting from the 2027-28 season, and the motive is ‘to appeal to the global streaming platforms.’

Netflix’s foray into sports – and their record-breaking numbers

Given that football is the biggest sport in the world, it’s a surprise it has taken a platform like Netflix this long to dive into such a money-crazy world.

But, over the years, from live boxing events to wrestling events, Netflix are starting to dip their toes into the world of sport, and they have already produced record-breaking numbers.

That was proved by the number of viewers that tuned into the comedy so-called boxing fight between YouTuber Jake Paul and legendary fighter Mike Tyson.

Given that football is the most-watched sport in the world, and apart from the World Cup, the Champions League is king, then expect that to break crazy numbers if Netflix get their hands on showing games.

But from a financial standpoint, and for the clubs involved, it’s paramount that Celtic return to the Champions League as soon as possible.