Channel 4 bets on U21 Euros to drag younger viewers back to TV
Channel 4 head of sport Pete Andrews on the broadcaster’s rights strategy, punching above their weight and why they’re showing England at the U21 Euros.
If you’ve watched an England team win a men’s international football tournament then it was probably on Channel 4. When Lee Carsley’s Under-21 side reached the final of the age-group Euros two years ago the broadcaster picked up the rights. The gamble paid off as an England team featuring Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Gibbs-White beat Spain 1-0.
This time Channel 4 has doubled down and will show live all of England’s games at the U21 Euros, starting on Thursday against Czechia. The publicly-owned but commercially-funded broadcaster’s unique position has shaped its sports rights strategy; in this case, the tournament is a chance to attract younger viewers to its programming.
“When England got to the final of the previous tournament we put it on Channel 4, and it was a brilliant game,” head of sport Pete Andrews tells City AM. “We know that young people like to watch young people play. That younger audience is sometimes harder for television to get. That’s a really appealing thing, and it’s really good football. We’re all interested in who the breakout stars are and hoping England do a good job for us as well.”
Historically the home of horse racing, Channel 4 is now best known for its Paralympics coverage and highlights of every Formula 1 race. It has also carved out a niche for snapping up one-off events in rights-sharing deals with pay TV networks, making national events like the 2019 Cricket World Cup final and Emma Raducanu’s 2021 US Open win available to all.
“Partnerships are really important for an organisation of the size that we are,” says Andrews. “I’ve always felt that we’ve punched above our weight by boxing clever, being opportunistic and able to do things quickly, and being good partners.” Thanks to Andrews’ wheeler-dealing, Channel 4 pulled in 9.6m viewers for Raducanu’s crowning moment.
How Channel 4 chooses its sports rights
Sports rights have to do at least one of two things for Channel 4: satisfy its remit to platform unheard voices – in even more simplistic terms: do the right thing – or attract a big enough audience to generate returns. “If you can find one that the Venn diagram crosses, you’re in the sweet spot,” says Andrews, who cites the Paralympics as its “unicorn”.
The sector has never been more valued thanks to its enduring status as appointment viewing in a world of declining linear TV consumption, but Channel 4 has never faced more competition now that big tech has muscled in. “These companies have limitless amounts of money,” he says. “If it comes down to money, it can be a challenge.”
Recently, Channel 5 has copied its approach, buying piecemeal England cricket rights and sharing half of Club World Cup games with global rights holder Dazn. “They’re coming into sport and doing really well,” says Andrews. “That’s a challenge for us, but also it’s maybe an opportunity. You never know when Channel 4 and Channel 5 might work together.”
Andrews points out that Channel 4 has been a good omen for home hopes. “We’ve been really lucky,” he says. “England won both finals [2019 Cricket World Cup and U21 Euros in 2023], and Raducanu won.” So if Carsley’s team, now boasting Ethan Nwaneri, Tino Livramento and Elliot Anderson, successfully defend their title you’ll know who to thank.