Why UEFA Is Putting More of Its Financial Future in the Hands of a US Agency

European football governing body UEFA has strengthened its commercial ties with US sports marketing agency Relevent by awarding it exclusive sales rights for national-team competitions from 2028 to 2036, expanding a partnership that already covers lucrative club tournaments.

Co-founded by Stephen Ross, owner of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, Relevent already manages the sale of UEFA Champions League broadcasting and sponsorship rights under a separate agreement running from 2027 to 2033. The latest deal places an even larger share of UEFA's commercial future in the hands of the American agency.

UEFA said Relevent emerged ahead of several rival bidders, citing its experience in representing European club competitions and its vision for the future development of football's commercial rights.

The agreement is particularly significant because national-team competitions provide crucial funding for UEFA's own operations. While much of the revenue generated by club tournaments is redistributed to participating teams through prize money, income from national-team events helps UEFA meet administrative costs, support its 55 member associations and maintain financial reserves of around 500 million euros ($560 million).

Relevent will take over from CAA Eleven, the football-focused subsidiary of Los Angeles-based Creative Artists Agency, which has handled the marketing and sale of UEFA national-team competition rights since 2012.

CAA Eleven will continue its work through the men's European Championship in 2028, which will be jointly hosted by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Relevent's new portfolio is expected to begin with men's Nations League matches in September 2028, followed by the Women's European Championship in Germany in 2029.

The move signals UEFA's growing reliance on major commercial partners to maximise the value of its competitions in an increasingly competitive global sports market. With broadcasting and sponsorship income central to the financial health of European football, the long-term agreement gives Relevent a more prominent role in shaping how UEFA's national-team tournaments reach broadcasters, sponsors and international audiences.