Dutch public-service broadcaster NOS has decided against bidding for the next cycle of rights to the Uefa Champions League European football club tournament due to budget cuts.
NOS did not submit a bid by yesterday’s deadline for the next cycle of rights, which will run for three years, from 2015-16 to 2017-18.
NOS chief executive Jan de Jong said that the budget cuts from the government had “forced us to prioritise and make choices.”
De Jong added that the broadcaster had decided to protect its news coverage, but added that the Champions League engaged the 15-34 age group “like nothing else.”
In the current three-year cycle, NOS shows the first-choice match each match night and the final, as well as highlights. The broadcaster has shown the Champions League since the launch of the tournament in 1992.