Alibaba Group has announced a multi-year partnership with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and UC3, a joint venture between UEFA and European Football Clubs (EFC) responsible for the strategic marketing, sales, and delivery of commercial rights for UEFA club competitions. under the agreement, Alibaba Group will serve as the official and exclusive Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud Computing Services, and E-commerce partner for the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League from the 2027/2028 season through the 2032/2033 season, as well as for the UEFA EURO 2028 tournament.
The collaboration involves deploying Alibaba’s AI capabilities, specifically its Qwen Large Language Model (LLM), to support fan engagement along with media and content management. By integrating its cloud computing infrastructure and global e-commerce platforms, Alibaba aims to deliver fan and content experiences across UEFA’s major competitions.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin stated that Alibaba’s expertise in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and e-commerce will support UEFA’s ongoing innovation strategies and enhance the global fan experience. He noted that the partnership aims to make competitions more accessible and engaging while maintaining the traditional elements and identity of European football.
Joe Tsai, Chairman of Alibaba Group, added that the shared objective of connecting global football fans brought Alibaba and UEFA together. He expressed that Alibaba will commit its cloud computing, full-stack AI, and global e-commerce infrastructure to assist UEFA and UC3 in delivering these sporting events to a global audience.
Alibaba’s cloud infrastructure and Qwen LLM will assist UEFA in developing its own next-generation internal AI capabilities. This technological integration is intended to provide fans with personalized, AI-driven digital experiences. Furthermore, starting from the 2027/2028 season and during UEFA EURO 2028, fans will gain access to official merchandise from UEFA men’s club competitions through Alibaba’s global e-commerce network.
The partnership establishes a framework for sports innovation by combining UEFA’s sports legacy and international fan base with Alibaba’s digital technology. This integration creates a scalable commercial model intended for use by other sports federations, leagues, and teams seeking to engage global audiences.
The commercial partnership between UEFA, UC3, and Alibaba was facilitated by Relevent, an international commercial rights partner for football. Operational management for the UEFA EURO 2028 commercial partnership will be overseen by CAA11.
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