How to watch Champions League 2026/27: Free Streams & TV Channels for Matchday 1

Sep 08, 2026 - 13:30

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How to watch Champions League 2026/27: Free Streams & TV Channels for Matchday 1

Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho and Vinicius Junior

Stream UCL 2026/27 free on Virgin Media Play & RTÉ Player (Ireland)
Unlock your stream with Surfshark (save up to 85%)
Champions League Matchday 1: Tue, Sep 8 – Thu, Sep 10 (fixtures below)

The Champions League 2026/27 draw is proof, if it was needed, that the world does indeed revolve around Jose Mourinho. Having reunited with Real Madrid, he'll reconvene with two more of his former clubs right off the bat, beginning with a blockbuster clash against Inter Milan, with whom he won a treble 16 years ago.

Los Blancos have dominated this fixture, but the Nerazzurri, revitalised under erstwhile Jose favourite Cristian Chivu, who led them to a domestic double last term, rarely go down without a fight. They've scored in 17 of their last 19 UCL games.

The pick of Wednesday's games sees Atletico Madrid visit Liverpool. Having failed to win any of their 10 group or league phase ties against English opposition, it's fair to say the Colchoneros don't travel well, but the Reds are rebuilding under Andoni Iraola – and the process is off to a slow start. If Diego Simeone can get Julian Alvarez back on side, Atleti have every chance of silencing Anfield.

Back-to-back champions PSG aside, Bodo / Glimt were the stars of last season's Champions League campaign. Kjetil Knutsen's minnows stunned Man City, Inter (twice), Atletico Madrid and Sporting Lisbon, and did so by playing a positive, free-scoring brand of football. Six-time European champions Bayern Munich have been warned.

Here's how to watch Champions League 2026/27 from anywhere in the world. We've also listed the Matchday 1 UCL fixtures below.

Champions League 2026/27 schedule

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(All times UK)

Matchday 1

Tuesday, September 8
5.45pm – AEK Athens vs LASK
5.45pm – Club Brugge vs Aston Villa | FREE on Virgin Media Play
8pm – Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal
8pm – Lille vs Real Betis
8pm – Porto vs Man City
8pm – Real Madrid vs Inter Milan | FREE on Virgin Media Play

Wednesday, September 9
5.45pm – Barcelona vs Feyenoord | FREE on Virgin Media Play
5.45pm – Stuttgart vs Viking
8pm – Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid | FREE on RTÉ Player
8pm – Napoli vs Arsenal | FREE on Virgin Media Play
8pm – PSG vs Slovan Bratislava
8pm – Sporting Lisbon vs Galatasaray

Thursday, September 10
5.45pm – Fenerbahce vs Roma | FREE on Virgin Media Play
5.45pm – PSV vs Shakhtar Donetsk
8pm – Bayern Munich vs Bodo / Glimt | FREE on Virgin Media Play
8pm – Como vs RB Leipzig
8pm – Man Utd vs Sabah | FREE on RTÉ Player
8pm – Slavia Prague vs Lens

Can you watch Champions League 2026/27 for free?

Yes. Select Champions League games are shown on free-to-air Virgin Media and RTÉ channels in Ireland each matchweek, with live streaming available via Virgin Media Play and RTÉ Player.

Free Champions League coverage is also available via RTL Play in Belgium and Tabii in Turkey

Extensive free highlights are available in the UK, courtesy of BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch UCL 2026/27 games for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Champions League 2026/27 live streams

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country and unlock your usual streaming services. The best VPN right now? We recommend Surfshark – it does everything and comes with up to 85% off.

How to watch Champions League 2026/27 live streams in the US

In the US, all 189 games of the 2026/27 Champions League campaign are available to live stream on Paramount+.

The Paramount+ price starts at $8.99/month or $89.99/year. However, you can access Paramount+ virtually for free with a Walmart Plus 30-day trial for $1.

Outside the US for a game? Use Surfshark to access your usual coverage.

How to watch Champions League 2026/27 live streams in the UK

Champions League 2026/27 coverage is split between TNT Sports and Amazon Prime in the UK.

You can add TNT Sports to your Sky, Virgin Media or EE TV package, or get an HBO Max plan that includes TNT Sports. Prices start at £25.99/month if you commit to a year.

Amazon Prime, which shows one Tuesday game each Matchweek, costs £8.99/month or £95/year after a 30-day free trial. Students and 18-24 year-olds can get it for £4.49/month or £47.49/year.

Alternatively, free-to-air BBC One will air a Champions League highlights show on Wednesday and Thursday nights, with streaming available via BBC iPlayer.

If you're out of the UK but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

How to watch Champions League 2026/27 live streams in Australia

Stan Sport is showing all 189 games of the 2026/27 Champions League season in Australia.

Stan Sport costs AU$20/month on top of a Stan subscription, which itself starts at AU$9.99/month. It's also home to the Premier League, Super Rugby, Six Nations and Nations Championship.

You can simply use a VPN like Surfshark to watch all the action as if you were back home.

How to watch Champions League 2026/27 live streams in Canada

In Canada, all 189 games of the 2026/27 Champions League campaign are available to watch on DAZN.

A subscription starts at CA$24.99/month, for a plan that also includes EFL, Carabao Cup, Bundesliga and NFL coverage.

If you're out of Canada but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

Official Champions League broadcasters by region

Africa

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The Champions League 2026/27 broadcast rights for Africa are largely split between beIN Sports and SuperSport.

Residents of the following African countries can watch Champions League 2026/27 live streams with a beIN Sports subscription:

Algeria, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Republic of the Sudan, Republic of South Sudan, Somalia and Tunisia.

Satellite TV provider SuperSport has the Champions League 2026/27 TV rights across these regions in Africa:

Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, St Helena and Ascension, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

South Africa

SuperSport will host Champions League 2026/27 on its satellite channels.

Americas

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Canada

DAZN has the rights to broadcast Champions League 2026/27. You can also watch the Europa League and EFL Championship soccer, the Bundesliga, Nations League, rugby and tennis.

Latin America

The broadcast rights to Champions League 2026/27 in Latin America are exclusive to Disney+.

Get a subscription and if you live in one of the following countries, you won't miss a second of the action.

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Europe

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The Champions League 2026/27 season will be shown by various broadcasters and streaming services throughout Europe.

Austria

Sky Sport in Austria will show the 2026/27 Champions League.

Belgium

Play Sports will be showing all the action from Champions League 2026/27.

Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedona and Serbia

Fans in the following countries can watch Champions League 2026/27 on Arena Sport:

Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

Bulgaria

Voyo Sport has the rights to show Champions League 2026/27 live broadcasts.

Cyprus

You can view Champions League 2026/27 on Cytavision in Cyprus.

Czechia

Champions League 2026/27 will be shown on Nova Sport in Czechia.

Denmark, Iceland and Sweden

Fans in the following countries can watch Champions League 2026/27 on Viaplay:

Denmark and Sweden.

In Iceland, the majority of games are also on Viaplay.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Fans in the following countries can watch Champions League 2026/27 on Go3 Sport:

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Finland

There will be coverage of Champions League 2026/27 in Finland on MTV Katsomo.

France

There will be coverage of Champions League 2026/27 in France on CANAL+.

Germany

In Germany, the Champions League 2026/27 rights are shared between DAZN Germany and Amazon Prime (one fixture per matchday).

Greece

Greeks should head to Cosmote Sport for Champions League 2026/27.

Hungary

RTL and Sport TV will share Champions League 2026/27 broadcast duties in Hungary.

Ireland

Virgin Media and RTE (both free-to-air), plus Premier Sports, TNT Sports and Amazon Prime, share broadcast coverage of Champions League 2026/27 in Ireland.

Italy

Viewers in Italy can watch Champions League 2026/27 on Sky Italia and a handful of matches on Amazon Prime

Netherlands

Viewers in the Netherlands should tune into Ziggo Sport for Champions League 2026/27.

Norway

TV2 Play is the home of Champions League 2026/27 in Norway.

Portugal

DAZN and Sport TV have the rights to air Champions League 2026/27 in Portugal.

Poland

TVP has the rights to air Champions League 2026/27 in Poland.

Switzerland

Fans in Switzerland can watch Champions League 2026/27 on SRG SSR and Blue Sport.

Turkey

Tabii in Turkey will host coverage of Champions League 2026/27.

Ukraine

Megogo will show Champions League 2026/27 in Ukraine.

Asia

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China

In China, Champions League 2026/27 will be shown by iQIYI.

Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand

The following countries will be able to watch Champions League 2026/27 on beIN Sports.

Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Sony LIV is the Champions League 2026/27 broadcaster for India plus Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Japan

Wowow will show Champions League 2026/27 in Japan.

Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

The Champions League 2026/27 rights for the following Central Asian countries are held by Q Sports:

Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Macau

iQiyi is what you need to watch Champions League 2026/27 in Macau.

Mongolia

Premier Sports will show the coverage of Champions League 2026/27 in Mongolia.

South Korea

Coverage of Champions League 2026/27 in South Korea can be found at SPOTV.

Oceania

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Australia

Stan Sport has the rights to Champions League 2026/27 in Australia. Prices start from $20 per month (on top of a regular $12 Stan sub).

New Zealand & Pacific Islands

DAZN is the Champions League 2026/27 TV rights holder in New Zealand and across the Pacific Islands, including: Cook Islands, Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Middle East

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beIN Sports MENA is the Champions League 2026/27 broadcaster across the Middle East.

You can watch Champions League live streams with a subscription to beIN Sports in the following Middle East countries:

Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Champions League 2026/27 FAQs

When is the Champions League 2026/27 final?

The Champions League 2026/27 final Is set to take place on Saturday, June 5, 2027 at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain.

Can I follow Champions League 2026/27 on my mobile?

Of course! Each of the major broadcasters has a streaming platform that you can access through a mobile app or via your phone's browser.

You can also stay up-to-date with the key Champions League 2026/27 moments on the official social media channels on Instagram (@ChampionsLeague), Facebook (@ChampionsLeague), TikTok (@ChampionsLeague) and UEFA's YouTube channel (@UEFA).

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.