It will also be shown on 9Gem at 4.30am AEST this Sunday, May 29.
Stan Sport will have exclusive coverage of UEFA Conference League final this Thursday (May 26).
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Not much has been posted here on Stan’s UEFA coverage, so with the UCL final wrapping up this morning which was also on 9Gem (which didn’t end well on my end 
), here’s a summary of how I think they went…
Briefly on this morning, Stan cut away from the world feed commentator (who was Tony Jones, and before anyone asks, no relation!) as he had somehow managed to lose his voice. How UEFA let Tony go to air worldwide is pretty abysmal, really. They ended up taking commentary from BT Sport with Darren Fletcher on play-by-play. Credit to them for switching to an alternative feed quickly! Kick-off was delayed by half an hour due to some shambolic crowd organisation (reports that three gates suddenly shut on Liverpool fans, leaving only one entry for them to get into the Stade de France). Semra Hunter (who presents on La Liga TV, who aren’t great I have to say) was reporting that Liverpool fans were trying to force their way in, which social media video has so far disproven. Not surprisingly, she’s came under deserved fire for that online (and the other presenters seemed to pour cold water on that rumour).
Anyways, I thought Stan did a pretty decent job throughout. Production values were definitely a step above what Optus Sport provided, and their presenter lineup was really strong, with Craig Foster and Mark Bosnich providing solid analysis throughout the season with the touchscreen. The picture quality of the streams has been a particular standout, especially with 4K, something that Optus is badly lagging behind in, and need to improve on since they have the EPL for the next six seasons.
I haven’t seen much of their magazine shows, so there’s not much I can say; although Stan Sport FC does give me some old school The World Game vibes. Meanwhile, let’s just say Two Up Top with Max Rushden and Ed Kavalee is a bit of an acquired taste… 
It obviously hasn’t been a 100% hit with fans though, with Stan Sport pricing being the main cause for complaint. It’s something that won’t change unless Stan has a re-think of their pricing structure, and I can’t see much changing there. I’d also like to see Nine show a few more games on 9Gem or even the main channel like they should have done for this morning (on that note, I did have a chuckle at Max’s cheeky digs at the 9Gem viewers when they were in commercial!).
Overall, it was a pretty impressive first season by them. It’s a pity they haven’t managed to get any other major competitions, even if it’s something like the FA Cup or any of the EFL leagues. I know I’d much rather watch the FA Cup on Stan’s platform than the mess that is Paramount+, not to mention that it would be a better value proposition for football fans.
(I’ll try and get some screenshots of their coverage when I get back home since the Stan app doesn’t allow screenshots!)
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Would have thought someone like Peter Drury may have been involved on the world feed.
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He was doing the UECL final apparently.
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that’s what I meant…
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So he was unavailable due to being in Albania. I agree, he is the best going around so it’s strange he was relegated to that competition.
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Ohhh the conference league final. Apologies - yeah I saw he did that but it was three days prior.
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He’s been calling UCL games for CBS alongside Jim Beglin, so strange he wasn’t used anywhere. Martin Tyler has called games this year, and likewise the BBC’s Guy Moubray (who called last years final I believe), so some odd decisions being made by UEFA…
What is he doing in Albania?!
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The Conference League final. I wrote that when I thought it was played the ‘night before’ the UCL final.
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Ah, fair enough. For what it’s worth, I wonder if he was just calling off-tube from a studio in London anyways?
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We have very different opinions on Foster and Bosnich. IMO they were terrible and I think Optus coverage was far superior. I am pleased that so far Stan Sport hasn’t got hold of any other football! I have no problems with Paramount+ coverage of the ALeague or the FA cup. Their ALeague panel look so much better than Foster and Bosnich standing in front of a screen looking like they wandered into the studio of the street!
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Stan Sport’s coverage of 2022-23 UEFA Champions League begins with the first leg of play-off round this week. It will stream two matches live: Rangers v PSV Eindhoven at 4.55am AEST on Wednesday, and Dynamo Kyiv v Benfica at 4.55am AEST Thursday. The return legs are next Wednesday (Benfica v Dynamo Kyiv) and Thursday (PSV Eindhoven v Rangers).
Stan Sport will also stream the 2022-23 UEFA Conference League play-off between Viborg and West Ham this Friday (August 19) at 4.55am AEST and next Friday (August 26) at 2.55am AEST.
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The group draw for the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League was held last night. Liverpool will face Rangers in group A. Group stage matches start on September 6 (September 7 Australian time) with selected matches available in 4K.
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They really need to pick up their game when it comes to highlights and uploading them onto YouTube. Optus has them within an hour (at an absolute most). Some 3-4 hours later and I’m now watching highlights on some random highlights channel. And they must deliberately make the cuts and editing bad on their highlights I’m sure.
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The semi-final match-ups
UPDATED 11/4
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Just announced now at half time of the Real Madrid v Manchester City semi-final that Stan Sport have retained the rights to the UEFA Champions League (assuming this also includes Europa League and Conference League matches) until 2027.
A longer extension than I thought they would’ve gone for, which seems to suggest confidence in the results they’re getting.
And maybe, just maybe a sign that they might give Premier League rights another crack when they come up for grabs in 2028? 
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Their current deal would cover 2023-24, so it sounds like it’s the usual 3 year extension.
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STAN TO CONTINUE AS HOME OF UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE UNTIL 2027
Stan Sport will continue as the exclusive Home of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League in Australia with multi-year partnership extension.
10 May, 2023 – Stan today announced it has extended its partnership with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), securing exclusive broadcast rights to every match of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League, alongside rights to the UEFA Super Cup for a further three years through to the 2026/27 season.
The exciting new competition structure introduced from the 2024/25 season will establish a league phase to replace the group stages, with qualifying clubs no longer playing each opponent twice but instead facing eight different opponents. This will include huge matches between Europe’s top teams in this early phase of competition. The new format also introduces a new “knock-out playoff round”, eliminating the traditional European football break in January and giving more clubs a chance to progress to the knock-out stages. From the 2024/25 season, fans will be able to enjoy over 540 matches across all competitions live and exclusive on Stan Sport, a 31% increase from the current schedule.
The combination of a world-class live streaming platform with the highest reach in Australia, alongside Nine’s broader TV and media assets, means Stan is better placed than any other TV business in Australia to support UEFA through a significant new chapter for the world’s best club football competitions.
Stan will continue to deliver every UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League match ad-free, live and exclusive. Select matches will continue to be made available in stunning 4K Ultra HD, with Stan the only streaming platform in Australia delivering live sports content of this quality. For the first time, from the 2024/25 season, all three finals will also be simulcast live to a national audience on the 9Network and streamed on 9Now.
Stan will also evolve its world-class studio coverage with the latest technologies and analysis presented by some of football’s most trusted voices both in Australia and on the ground in Europe.
The current UEFA Champions League season returns this week for two blockbuster Semi-Finals, Real Madrid v Man City (Wednesday 4:35am AEDT) and Milan v Inter (Thursday 4:35am AEDT), with all the action streaming ad-free, live and exclusive in 4K Ultra HD on Stan Sport.
In addition to remaining the long-term Home of UEFA club football, Stan has further affirmed its position in the local sports streaming market with confirmation that it will continue as the Home of Rugby, committing to a multi-year extension with Rugby Australia. This extends Stan and Nine’s exclusive rights to Southern Hemisphere rugby past the upcoming Rugby World Cup in France, encompassing Super Rugby, Super W, The Rugby Championship, including the Bledisloe Cup, Wallaroos Tests, Shute Shield, Hospital Cup, NPC & Currie Cup, plus the July Test Series. This extension also includes exclusive broadcast rights to the eagerly anticipated 2025 British & Irish Lions Series.
Stan Chief Executive Officer Martin Kugeler said:
“Stan’s partnership with UEFA has been a key pillar of our sports business, and we are delighted to continue broadcasting the world’s best club football competitions until 2027. We have seen very strong audience numbers and extremely positive feedback from fans during our first two seasons. We will continue to deliver our viewers amazing pre- and post-match coverage as well as an outstanding viewing experience.The expanded competition format from the 2024/25 season will deliver our subscribers even more world-class football content with additional match-ups, extra teams and more live games than ever before. We are thrilled to have been entrusted with the broadcast rights of the UEFA club competitions through this exciting new era.”
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