David Beckham and his pals will provide commentary on UEFA Champions League play on Paramount+ under a two-year deal for an alternate telecast on the streamer.
Under the partnership, the “Beckham & Friends” altcast for CBS Sports’ UEFA Champions League coverage will be available as a new viewing option to Paramount+ subscribers. The Beckham-led versions will stream during UEFA Champions League Semifinal Leg 2 matches and the UEFA Champions League Final. The deal includes exclusive altcasts on Paramount+ in 2025 and ’26, where Beckham will be “joined by his friends from the worlds of sports, media and entertainment,” according to Paramount.
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Beckham, the now-retired English football superstar, made the announcement Tuesday during a guest appearance on CBS Sports’ “UEFA Champions League Today” studio show. The 2024-25 season kicks off Sept. 17 with the traditional group stage phase replaced by a league system with 36 teams.
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Beckham said the “watch party”-style altcast will likely feature a different celebrity friend each time. “I love watching the game, and I like watching the game in a certain way, and most of the time it is either with my kids or my friends,” Beckham said about commentary. “So it’s going to be that kind of thing, where I’m sat there watching the games, commenting on the games, with friends, talking about the game and not sometimes talking about the game.”
Watch a clip of Beckham’s announcement:
Earlier Tuesday, Beckham spoke at the Royal Television Society conference in London, where he spoke about the Emmy-winning docuseries “Beckham” on Netflix, from his Studio 99 production company. “I hated almost every moment of making it… it was very difficult,” he said.
Beckham’s deal with Paramount+ continues the trend of sports broadcasters presenting multiple versions of the same event, overlaid with different commentator teams and other features. The most prominent in the U.S. is the “ManningCast,” ESPN’s popular live broadcast series for NFL “Monday Fight Football” games hosted by superstar brothers Peyton and Eli Manning, now in its fourth season.
Paramount+’s “Beckham & Friends” will be produced by CBS Sports in collaboration with UEFA Champions League, Authentic and Relevent Sports Group.
UEFA Champions League is among the 1,500-plus live soccer matches annually available on Paramount+. The service is also the streaming home to CBS Sports’ live sports lineup including NFL, college football and basketball, golf and soccer, including the UEFA Champions League and National Women’s Soccer League.
