The decision of Uefa and its rights-selling agency TEAM to hand German network Premiere exclusive live rights to the Champions League from next season has raised concerns among the tournament sponsors.
As part of the deal, Premiere has pledged to acquire or launch a free-to-air channel to screen at least one top game during match weeks.
Uefa has revamped its sponsorship structure for the 2006-2009 period, boosting the number of top-tier partners from four to six.
Major sponsors including MasterCard, Ford and PlayStation have yet to renew. It is understood that there are concerns that a less-established channel will reduce the overall value of the rights UEFA has placed on the new Champions League sponsorship packages.
Some of the sponsors have written to Uefa expressing their concerns and demanding that the renewal rights fee be lowered as a result of the Premiere deal. The asking price for the three-year contracts is believed to be more than £8m a year.
Uefa was not available for comment at time of going to press.
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