CBS Sports Provides ‘One-of-a-Kind Production’ for UEFA Champions League Crossover Event

In two-day show, men’s and women’s tournaments will air live across three platforms

On Dec. 9-10, CBS Sports will showcase what it describes as a “one-of-a-kind production” when it airs coverage from both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Women’s Champions League matches. A total of 13 matches on Tuesday and all 14 matches on Wednesday will be livestreamed on Paramount+, and some will also be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network

The UEFA Championship League Today on-air team: (from left) host Kate Abdo and analysts Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards (Photo: Alan Clarke/Paramount+)

“Viewers should be very excited about what we have in store for them,” says Adriana Tonelli, producer, UEFA Women’s Champions League Today. “For the first time ever, they’ll be able to simultaneously take in the two biggest club tournaments in Europe. All the shows across our networks will maintain a parity of coverage between the two tournaments and will feature crossover among the analysts — something I’m particularly excited about.

“Just as an example,” she continues, “we have a pair of Arsenal legends in studio. I can’t wait to hear what Thierry Henry has to say about Arsenal women and Jen Beattie about Arsenal men. These two days will allow fans to see and hear analysis of each competition from different voices.”

On both days, a 90-minute studio prematch show will air live from London, beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET exclusively on Paramount+ and continuing at 2:00 p.m. on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network. A 60-minute postmatch show will also analyze the top matches and storylines from both the men’s and women’s competitions.

The production will comprise 27 on-air talent. From the UEFA Championship League Today on-air team, host Kate Scott and analysts Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards will be on hand, as will a team from UEFA Women’s Champions League Today: host Hannah Cash and analysts Jen Beattie, Janelly Farias, Darian Jenkins, and Kelley O’Hara. The two teams will combine into a single show to provide commentary on both days’ matches.

The UEFA Women’s Champions League Today on-air team: (from left) host Hannah Cash and analysts Jen Beattie, Janelly Farias, Darian Jenkins, and Kelley O’Hara (Photo: Hannah Cash/CBS).

The crossover event will offer eight hours of live content airing across three platforms, the production managed and coordinated from four control rooms, according to Tonelli. Three graphics packages will also be incorporated into all the shows.

The effort involves 150 production and technical crew members from CBS Sports and its partner IMG on two continents. “It’s an impressive undertaking from any angle you look at it,” says Tonelli, noting that putting together the “one-of-a-kind production takes everyone from the top down.”

The program on Golazo Network will be a live whip-around show featuring every goal from all the matches. It takes significant coordination between the teams at CBS Sports and IMG, she adds, to ensure that fans see all the matches throughout Europe and watch the top moments from both competitions.

“The enthusiasm and passion for the game on both the men’s and women’s side from our crew and talent make it a fun, exciting process,” says Tonelli. “Naturally, we’re in constant communication, but it’s more than that. Collaboration at every level of production has been truly essential for pulling this off. Everyone is all-in on making these two days one of the best moments in the history of our network’s coverage.”

The general format of the shows will remain the same across the two days, according to Tonelli, although different segments will be focused on the biggest matches in both tournaments. For example, pitchside reporter Anita Jones will be in Milan on Tuesday for the men’s match between Inter Milan and Liverpool and will be covering Manchester United vs. OL Lyonne in the women’s tournament live from Manchester on Wednesday. Pitchside reporter Guillem Balagué will be live in Madrid for the men’s match between Real Madrid and Manchester City on Wednesday.

Among key CBS personnel behind the two-day event Pete Radovich, VP, production/coordinating producer leads the UEFA Champions League Today production alongside Line Producer Matt Curtis. Besides Tonelli, on the UEFA Women’s Champions League Today side are Producer Jen Calhoun and Senior Coordinating Producer Mike Nastri for match coverage. Senior Coordinating Producer Giancarlo Gennarini oversees the daily shows on the CBS Sports Golazo Network.