For the opening of the Champions League, Canal+ broadcasters will broadcast, among others: games Juventus – PSV Eindhoven, Young Boys Bern – Aston Villa, AC Milan – Liverpool, Real Madrid – Stuttgart. Fans were angered by the advertisements just before the start of each match. Customers criticized the sender for this, including: on their social media profiles.
– Advertising during the Champions League anthem is a scandal – wrote Łukasz. – Pathology… Not only do you demand payment from those who have purchased full packages, but you also display ads during the national anthem – David complained. – No, it’s a success, not only are you broadcasting a third-class match on Canal+ 360, but also this gross propaganda during the announcement of the line-ups and at the start of the match, when you can see the players entering the field – Kamil did not hide his indignation.
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Many viewers were surprised that premium sports channels broadcast advertising. – Why are there ads on paid channels and we can’t see the home team of the match? – Michał asked on the X website (formerly Twitter). – I have your most expensive package with Canal+ Extra channels. While watching the Milan vs Liverpool match, I couldn’t hear the anthem or see the players leaving the field, but the ads appeared: WTF???!!! The premium package should not contain ads during broadcast. I have never had anything like this, neither on Polsat nor on TVP. Where can I file a complaint and request a refund? Because the service is not premium, it is just a scam, because when you pay for Premium you cannot watch 100% of the broadcast time, only advertisements appear, which is not available even on televisions that are not called premium, such as TVP – complained Kamil. – I also suggest advertising during the match, for example, free kicks, penalty kicks or player substitutions – there are so many possibilities, you will find out – said Jacek ironically.
Canal+ will change advertising broadcast times
On Wednesday, Canal+ Polska responded to these allegations. – Yesterday’s UEFA Champions League matches were preceded by advertising for the first time. Unfortunately, their broadcast disrupted important moments and events before the first whistle – the UEFA Champions League anthem or the team line-up presentations. This situation should not have happened and we sincerely apologise for it. We will move the advertising block early enough so that it does not interfere with what is happening on the pitch just before the match starts. – wrote the broadcaster on social media.
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– This ad will not be in a place where it should not be. We regret it – added Michał Kołodziejczyk, director of the sports editorial department at Canal+ Polska.
As we reported in August, Group One, which owns agencies such as Value Media and Chage Serviceplan, has exclusively purchased a new form of advertising from Canal+ that has never been broadcast on television before. The Golden Spot product is a 30-second spot that will be broadcast immediately before UEFA Champions League matches in the 2024/2025 season, shown after the players have entered the field.
We then inform you that During each of the 167 games (during which the Golden Spot will be available) of the most prestigious football competition in the world, only one spot will be broadcastand Group One purchased the rights to all broadcasts.
– This is the most prestigious brand placement during Champions League matches that has been possible on television so far. At the time of the anthem, 100% of the attention of viewers and Champions League fans is on the small screen and therefore also on the commercial that will be broadcast shortly before the start of the game – said Bartosz Kuczyński, Director of Buying Intelligence at Group One Media (Group One media companies).
Canal+ broadcasts the Champions League for three years
Canal+ acquired the Champions League rights for the 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons in the spring. Previously, the games were shown on Polsat Sport Premium channels. To access all UEFA Champions League matches on Canal+, you must have the Super Sport package as a satellite TV customer (new subscribers from PLN 65/month) or as a subscriber to the Canal+ online streaming service (also from PLN 65/month).
If you are already a Canal+ customer or have a Canal+ online subscription, depending on the packages you have, you can purchase access to the UEFA Champions League (starting at PLN 15). The matches are shown on Canal+ Extra 1-4, as well as on Canal+ 360 (the channel recently replaced Canal+ Family). On October 1, additional virtual channels Canal+ Extra 5-7 will be launched. Selected matches can be watched on TVP Sport thanks to a sub-license. Canal+ Extra channels can be watched not only by Canal+ and Canal+ online customers, but also by selected operators, including: Vectra, Inea, Toya.