Best Way to Watch the Champions League
The Champions League is the competition where the free coverage in the UK disappeared, and that change has been badly reported. Beyond the UK, the picture is more mixed — including one country where a large slice of the competition is genuinely free.
This page is ranked by what you actually get. Where a free route exists, it is named; where it does not, that is said plainly rather than softened.
Who has it, country by country
| Country | Who shows it | Free option |
|---|---|---|
| UK | TNT Sports, streaming through HBO Max | Highlights only, on the BBC. There is no free live coverage, and the 2026 final was not free either — see below. |
| United States | Paramount+, which holds the English-language rights to the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League | None. |
| Spain | Movistar Plus+, exclusively, across all three UEFA club competitions | None. Orange resells Movistar's coverage. |
| Italy | Sky Italia for 185 of the 203 matches, with Prime Video holding 18 Wednesday matches exclusively | A semi-final or final involving an Italian club must be shown free-to-air under Italy's protected-events list. |
| Germany | DAZN | DAZN's free tier in Germany includes Champions League highlights. A European club competition final involving a German side must be free-to-air under § 13 of the Medienstaatsvertrag. |
| France | Canal+, exclusive through 2031 | Yes — the Champions League final is on France's protected list unconditionally, and M6 has carried it. |
| Portugal | DAZN, with 166 Champions League matches exclusively; Sport TV has the first two picks each week | One match per matchday has been free on LiveModeTV's YouTube channel. Note that Portugal's statutory free-to-air guarantee is not consistently enforced in practice, so do not rely on it. |
| Netherlands | Ziggo Sport, through 2030-31 | None live. |
| Belgium | Play Sports and Proximus Pickx | None live. |
| Denmark | Viaplay, exclusively to 2031 | None live. |
| Norway | TV 2, to 2030-31 | None live. |
| Sweden | Viaplay for 2026-27, then Disney+ takes over from 2027-28 | None live. |
| Finland | MTV Katsomo for 2026-27, then Nelonen's Ruutu from 2027-28 | None live. |
| Canada | DAZN Canada carries the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League | None live. |
| Brazil | ESPN via Disney+, with SBT carrying Tuesday matches free-to-air | Yes — TNT Sports' YouTube channel shows 31 Champions League matches free, and SBT carries more. |
| Australia | Stan Sport holds the UEFA club competitions | None live. |
| India | SonyLIV, with the Champions League on Sony Sports Ten 2 | None for this competition. |
| Japan | WOWOW, exclusively, all matches to 2030-31 | None live. |
| South Korea | SPOTV, to 2027 | None live. |
| MENA | beIN Sports, with TOD as its streaming service | None live. |
Ranked by what you get
- Best free option anywhere: Brazil. TNT Sports' YouTube channel carries 31 Champions League matches free, and SBT adds Tuesday-night matches free-to-air. Nothing else in this competition comes close — and like every other free option here, it is available in Brazil and nowhere else.
- Cheapest paid route: Prime Video in Italy, at about €49.90 for a year, which includes Amazon Prime itself. It carries 18 Wednesday matches exclusively. Per match, nothing on this page is cheaper.
- Best for watching every match: Paramount+ in the US at about USD 12.99/month for the Premium tier, or DAZN in Germany and Canada. In the UK, TNT Sports through HBO Max at about £30.99/month, or twelve payments of £25.99 on the saver plan.
- Best if you only want the final: watch from France. The final is on France's protected list unconditionally, which is why it has been on M6.
- Best in the US if you want it in Spanish: DAZN's US service carries three exclusive Champions League matches per matchweek with Spanish commentary, plus all of Serie A. It holds no English-language rights there.
Is the final free?
It depends entirely on the country, and the UK is now the exception rather than the rule. The 2026 final was the first in 34 years not shown free-to-air or free on YouTube in the UK. It required a subscription, and it is still widely reported as having been free.
Elsewhere, protection is normal: France requires the final to be free, Germany requires a final involving a German club to be free, and Italy requires a semi-final or final involving an Italian club to be free. That is the pattern across Europe — the free guarantee usually attaches to the final, and often only when a club from that country is in it.
Do not plan around a "free on YouTube" final. That claim circulated for years because it was once true. It was not true for the 2026 final in the UK. Check your own country's protected-events list rather than assuming, and remember that a free-to-air guarantee in Germany does not make the match free in Ireland.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- DAZN in the UK has no Champions League. It has it in Germany, Portugal and Canada. Same brand, different rights.
- Paramount+ is not available in Italy, despite US coverage being described as "Serie A on Paramount+". That is a US channel arrangement, not an Italian service.
- Ziggo Sport in the Netherlands holds the Champions League, not ESPN NL. The Eredivisie and the Champions League sit with different providers in that market.
- Sweden and Finland both change hands soon — Sweden moves to Disney+ from 2027-28 and Finland to Ruutu from the same season. Check the current season rather than the next one.
Where can I watch the Champions League for free?
Brazil, where TNT Sports' YouTube channel carries 31 matches free and SBT adds more. In Europe, a final involving a club from your country is usually required to be free — France requires the final unconditionally. In the UK there is no free live coverage at all.
Is the Champions League final free to watch?
Not in the UK. The 2026 final was the first in 34 years not free-to-air or free on YouTube there. France, Germany and Italy all impose free-to-air requirements on the final, usually with conditions.
Which is the cheapest way to watch the Champions League?
Prime Video in Italy at about €49.90 per year, including Amazon Prime, for 18 exclusive Wednesday matches. For the whole competition, Paramount+ in the US at about USD 12.99/month is hard to beat.
Does DAZN show the Champions League?
In Germany, Portugal and Canada, yes. In the UK, no — DAZN holds no Champions League rights there. This is the clearest example of why a brand name tells you nothing about what a service carries in your country.
Who has the Champions League in the US?
Paramount+, which holds the English-language rights to the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. DAZN's US service carries three matches per matchweek with Spanish commentary.
Where to go next
Champions League coverage worldwide Free live sports streams Services compared DAZN by country.