Two weeks after Turner Sports opted out of its deal with UEFA, CBS has reportedly moved in to begin broadcasting UEFA Champions League games for the next two seasons.
CBS has reportedly acquired broadcasting rights for the UEFA Champions League for the rest of the 2019–20 season, as well as the 2020–21 season, according to Christopher Harris of World Soccer Talk.
The report comes two weeks after Turner Sports backed out of its deal with UEFA, which ran through the end of the 2020–21 season. CBS is expected to make an official announcement Thursday.
CBS had already signed an agreement for Champions League television rights beginning in 2021. Turner's decision to end its deal early gave CBS the opportunity to begin broadcasting games one year earlier than expected.
According to Harris, CBS Sports will air the UEFA Champions League and Europa League draw on Friday. All games are expected to be available via live stream on CBS All Access, the network's subscription-only streaming service. It's unclear whether CBS will televise 2020 Champions League games on the over-the-air CBS channel.
This year's Champions League will conclude in Lisbon, Portugal, with an eight-team, single-elimination tournament held at two venues over 12 days, beginning on Aug. 12.