TELESIDE, U.S.A. — This afternoon saw one of the most ambitions and audacious television broadcasts in history.
It promised storylines, boffo action, and slam-bang finishes.
And my, did Matchday 7 of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League group phase deliver.
The broadcast, on Paramount Plus, was a whiparound telecast somewhat similar to what has been done the last decade and a half on NFL RedZone, and has also transferred well to other sports, such as baseball (MLB Strike Zone), basketball (NBA Crunch Time), and even volleyball (ESPN’s Fifth Set). Our site has done some forays into this for field hockey and lacrosse, in a broadcast series we call The Final Third.
But what Nico Cantor and the Paramount/CBS crew did was extraordinary. Eighteen games were on offer, with some more important than others.
A lot of the action focused on the current UEFA champion, Manchester City. While goals were pinging in all around Europe, the tension for the first 40 minutes of the game between City and Brugge was building.
And then, Brugge scored before the interval. Should the game have concluded with that score, Manchester City, one of the most expensive clubs in the world, would not have qualified for the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League.
The broadcast continued with goal after goal being scored in the 18 simultaneous contests. The broadcast team did a great job of moving from game to game and showing goal after goal.
Eventually, The Blues would score to level the match, then score two more to secure the result.
The broadcast wound down as the 24 playoff teams for the Champions League knockout phase were identified on a 64-goal day.
It was a breathtaking day full of white-knuckle action even if you were a neutral.
Thing is, this isn’t over; a similar broadcast for the last day of the UEFA Europa League occurs tomorrow.
I have a feeling the people who run soccer are onto something.