April 9 (Reuters) - The joint venture between UEFA and European Football Clubs, UC3, said on Thursday it has entered exclusive negotiations with Nike to become the official match ball provider for all UEFA men's club competitions from 2027 to 2031.
A deal would mark the first time Nike gets a contract to become the official match ball provider for UEFA men's club competitions after 25 years, taking over from rival Adidas which has held the rights since 2001.
The value of the deal across the competitions could roughly double to more than 40 million euros ($46.70 million) a year, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
($1 = 0.8565 euros)
(Writing by Linda Pasquini, editing by Kirsti Knolle and Arun Koyyur)
