UEFA Champions League Final 2024: CBS Sports' UCL Today Studio Show Is Pitchside at Wembley Stadium CBS Sports' marquee soccer studio show continues to evolve By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Friday, May 31, 2024 - 2:47 pm
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Originating from historic Wembley Stadium in London, CBS Sports will present 7 hours of all-encompassing multi-platform live coverage of the UEFA Champions League Final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid on Saturday across its linear and digital platforms. CBS Sports' live pre/postmatch and halftime show, UEFA Champions League Today, will be onsite and hosted by Kate Abdo alongside analysts Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards. Saturday marks CBS Sports' fifth time presenting the UEFA Champions League Final and represents a major yard-marker for just how far the Tiffany Network has come during that half decade.
UEFA Champions League Today will be onsite in London and feature (from left) host Kate Abdo and analysts Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards. (Photo: CBS Sports)
I'm personally proud of our coverage of European football, says CBS Sports President/CEO David Berson, who took over from Chairman Sean McManus in April. CBS Sports has been known for generations for marquee events, huge audiences, and very high-end production values. While we are typically known for American football (both NFL and college), college basketball (including March Madness), and golf, just to name a few sports, I'm extremely proud to add European Football and Champions League to that list and produce it at the highest of levels and be recognized as a leader around the world this quickly.
Onsite for UCL Final: Pitchside Presence Makes All the Difference Coverage kicks off at 11 a.m. ET on CBS Sports Golazo Network with a two-hour UCL Final edition of its flagship show, Morning Footy. Next up will be a new, soccer-themed episode of CBS Sports' all-women studio show We Need To Talk at 12:30 p.m. on CBS and Paramount . Two hours of prematch coverage from London begins at 1 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network and Paramount and continues on CBS and Paramount at 1:30 p.m.
[Being onsite] is something we do from time to time when we think that there's value from it, says Matt Curtis, live producer, UEFA Champions League Today. There's clearly value from being at a final. The atmosphere that both sets of supporters but certainly the Dortmund fans are going to bring will add to it hugely. We'll have to get a couple of bodyguards around to make sure Jamie doesn't jump into [Dortmund's Yellow Wall] again, but fingers crossed.
The match will begin at 3 p.m. airing on CBS and streaming live on Paramount , followed by an hour of onsite postmatch coverage on CBS Sports Network and Paramount .
One of the real pluses over the last couple of years, Curtis adds, when we've headed pitchside after a game - and I think it's a reflection of success - we find that players want to come and talk to us. I think part of that is our tone, because they know they can come and have a bit of fun with us as well as being asked questions about the game. Last year really showed that. I think our postgame will be one to watch because there are players from both teams who I can't wait for our panel to talk to after the game, regardless of the results. Those are going to be gold interviews. That's the main reason why we're there.
In addition to the UEFA Champions League Today studio crew, Peter Schmeichel, Guillem Balagu , Anita Jones, Nico Cantor, and Geoff Shreeves will provide reports live from London. Clive Tyldesley will supply play-by-play for the UEFA Champions League Final, joined by analyst Rob Green onsite in London. Christina Unkel will contribute to coverage as rules analyst.
In a move that aims to replicate the broadcaster's success with alternative kid-focused presentations of NFL games, the coverage will feature special appearances by Nickelodeon's iconic explorer Dora, Philadelphia 76ers star center and noted Real Madrid supporter Joel Embiid, and Italian footballing legend Alessandro Del Piero on the prematch show alongside Abdo, Henry, Carragher, and Richards.
It's going to be a lot of fun, says CBS Sports VP, Production/Senior Creative Director Pete Radovich, who serves as coordinating producer for CBS Sports' soccer coverage. It's obviously on brand and for what we've done with our NFL coverage, but it won't be anywhere near what we do with our NFL Nick broadcasts. It's just one segment in the pregame just to have a little bit of fun. Joel Embiid is a big Real Madrid fan, and he's also a big fan of these guys on our show. He watches our coverage and is a huge fan of what we've been doing, so that will be fun.
Soccer Success: UCL Today Helps Drive Big Viewership on Digital, Linear With big personalities like Abdo, Henry, Carragher, and Richards at the studio desk, UCL Today has garnered a major following on both linear and digital since its launch. The show has more than 3.5 billion views across social platforms this season, largely driven by its Champions League coverage. Berson sees the show as a true differentiator for CBS Sports across all its platforms and believes it has played a major role in Paramount 's most-streamed season ever, with double-digit growth in household streaming minutes and average minute audience. In addition, the quarterfinal match between Real Madrid and Manchester City on April 17 was the most-streamed soccer match ever on Paramount and the most-watched quarterfinal match ever in U.S. English-language-television history.
Champions League continues to be a massive contributor to Paramount , says Berson. April was the best month ever for Champions
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UEFA Champions League Final 2024: CBS Sports' UCL Today Studio Show Is Pitchside at Wembley Stadium CBS Sports' marquee soccer studio show continues to evolve By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. 
