US-based sports marketing agency Relevent has secured an exclusive mandate to market commercial rights for Uefa’s national team competitions between 2028 and 2036, ousting long-standing incumbent CAA Eleven. The appointment follows a competitive tender process that drew bids from several leading international agencies, bringing a major shift to European football’s commercial landscape.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Broadcast Fragmentation: Expect simultaneous broadcast tenders across major territories, mirroring the agency’s strategy of luring global streaming platforms like Paramount+ into traditional broadcast spaces.
- Sponsorship Windows: Brands targeting international fixtures can anticipate extended partnership cycles, similar to the six-year structural frameworks introduced for the Champions League.
The End of an Era for CAA Eleven
Relevent’s appointment brings an end to CAA Eleven’s exclusive run as Uefa’s national team marketing partner, a relationship that will have passed the 15-year mark by the end of the current cycle. CAA Eleven was established in Nyon, Switzerland, in 2012 by Creative Artists Agency specifically to service the confederation’s newly centralised national team commercial rights. Uefa publicly thanked the agency and its staff for their dedication since the partnership’s inception.
The transition arrives as cumulative media rights and sponsorship sales for tournaments like the Nations League and European qualifiers generate approximately €3 billion for the 2022 to 2028 cycle. Meanwhile, Euro 2024 pulled in €1.4 billion in broadcast revenue alongside €619.9 million from commercial income. Relevent chief executive Boris Gartner described the new agreement as a defining moment, noting the historical significance and global reach of the properties involved.
𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘: CAA Eleven set to lose Uefa contract.The special-purpose agency has been informed by Uefa that its bid to retain the sale of commercial rights for its men's national team competitions was unsuccessful, 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝘽𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 can exclusively reveal.The… pic.twitter.com/erJtKyMInq
Expanding the Brief to Club and Country
Relevent’s new national team contract builds upon its existing relationship with European football’s governing body. The agency already acts as the exclusive global sales agency for Uefa’s men’s club competitions, including the Champions League, taking over that role from Team Marketing after a deal struck last year. That club competition brief is managed through a purpose-built subsidiary, Relevent Football Partners, which secured major media rights increases across Europe’s big five markets for the 2027 to 2033 cycle.
According to SportsPro, Relevent will also oversee media rights sales for the Women’s Euros in 2029 and 2033. The agency will take over sponsorship and licensing rights for Uefa’s women’s national team properties starting from the 2030/31 season, following the expiration of the governing body's current agreement with Two Circles.
Following TEAM’s loss of its long-held UEFA club rights business to Relevent, UEFA men’s national teams rights commercialisation is poised for a major overhaul. 🔗 https://t.co/eTAWtnO2NW https://t.co/OTEkMyGNFO
| Tournament / Cycle | Previous Partner | New Agency Partner | Key Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s National Teams (2028–2036) | CAA Eleven | Relevent | Media, Sponsorship, Licensing (Euros 2032/36, Nations League, Qualifiers) |
| Men’s Club Competitions | Team Marketing | Relevent (via RFP) | Global sales, media rights, sponsorship revamps |
| Women’s National Teams (From 2030/31) | Two Circles | Relevent | Sponsorship and licensing rights |
A New Structural Blueprint for 2028
The incoming commercial agreement coincides with sweeping structural changes to European international football. Starting from the 2028/29 season, the Uefa Nations League will transition from four leagues to three leagues of 18 teams. Each league will feature three groups of six teams playing six matches against five different opponents.
Simultaneously, European qualifiers for the Euros and the Fifa World Cup are shifting toward a tiered format incorporating elements of the Swiss system used in club competitions. Uefa’s stated objective for these alterations is to generate greater competitive balance, heighten stakes, and secure more frequent matchups between top-tier national sides.
