BUDAPEST, May 30 (Xinhua) -- UEFA announced on Friday a long-term partnership with Alibaba Group on artificial intelligence, cloud services and e-commerce, as European football accelerates its digital transformation and fan engagement efforts.

   Under the agreement, Alibaba will become the official exclusive 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 to the 2032/2033 season, as well as UEFA EURO 2028.

   UEFA said the partnership forms part of its broader efforts to strengthen future digital capabilities, expand global fan engagement and enhance content and viewing experiences worldwide.

   UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said Alibaba's expertise in AI, cloud computing and e-commerce aligns closely with UEFA's vision of driving innovation and improving the global fan experience.

   "Together with Alibaba, we will bring fans closer to the game in newer and more meaningful ways, making our competitions more engaging, more accessible and more immersive, while preserving the traditions, emotions and spirit that define European football," he said.

   During the partnership period, Alibaba will leverage its AI technologies, including its Qwen large language model, to support fan interaction, media content management and event communications. Supported by its global cloud infrastructure and e-commerce platforms, the company will also help deliver more immersive viewing and content experiences for UEFA competitions.

   Alibaba Group Chairman Joe Tsai said UEFA's strong interest in the intersection of sports and technology was one of the key drivers behind the partnership.

   "AI is changing sports, and it is changing the fan experience," Tsai said. "At the Paris Olympics and the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, we saw how AI-powered 360-degree replay technology could create a more immersive viewing experience for fans."

   He said the partnership would bring Alibaba's cloud computing, full-stack AI and global e-commerce capabilities into UEFA's flagship competitions, including media services, fan engagement and digital infrastructure.

   "The part that excites me most is the possibility of using AI to transform the fan experience," Tsai said. "We look forward to using our Qwen large language model to help fans access information about football, clubs and players in more interactive ways."

   UC3 is a joint venture established by UEFA and the European Club Association to manage the commercial rights of UEFA club competitions.

   The partnership marks another major step in Alibaba's growing involvement in the digital transformation of global sports events.

   Alibaba became a Worldwide Olympic Partner in 2017 and has since supported the International Olympic Committee's digital transformation efforts. Cloud-based broadcasting was used on a large scale during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, while the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022 saw Olympic core systems fully migrated to the cloud for the first time.

   During the Paris Olympics in 2024, cloud broadcasting surpassed satellite transmission for the first time to become the primary broadcasting method. At the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the IOC introduced the first official Olympic large language model based on Alibaba's Qwen technology.