UEFA, the body governing European football, has made the latest move towards D2C sports streaming with the launch of its first OTT video platform, with a claim that it is helping rather than competing with existing rights holders by boosting fan engagement. This claim rings hollow when we consider that the new UEFA.tv service will host live matches in regions where there are no current rights holders for its Champions League and Europa League club games, as well as next year’s Euro 2020 national tournament. It is true that only a handful of smaller countries are not covered by paid rights, such as Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan and the Philippines, but this will allow UEFA to establish itself as a direct…