You know that feeling. It’s a Tuesday afternoon, you’ve got the coffee ready, the work Slack is muted, and you’re frantically clicking through apps trying to find the game. The Champions League format changed, and with it, the "where to watch" map turned into a bit of a jigsaw puzzle. Honestly, it’s frustrating when you just want to see if Real Madrid can pull another miracle out of their hat or if a team like Bayer Leverkusen is going to keep upsetting the old guard.
If you're asking where can I watch the champions league, the answer depends entirely on which side of the ocean you’re sitting on.
The 2025-26 season isn't like the old days. We are firmly in the era of the "League Phase"—which basically means more games, more days of football, and more subscriptions to keep track of. Gone are the simple days of just flipping on a local sports channel and seeing every big match. Now, it’s a battle of the streaming giants.
The US Landscape: It’s a Paramount+ World
In the United States, CBS Sports holds the keys to the kingdom. They’ve locked this down through the 2029-30 season, which is great for consistency but a bit of a hit to the wallet if you aren't already a subscriber.
Basically, every single match is on Paramount+.
If you want the full experience—every goal from every stadium—you’re looking at their "Golazo Show." It’s that whip-around coverage that’s honestly become the best way to watch the early stages when six games are happening at once. You’ll see the legendary crew—Kate Scott, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards. Their chemistry is probably better than most of the teams on the pitch.
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Some matches do trickle down to "big" CBS or CBS Sports Network, but you can't rely on that if you follow a specific team that isn't a global giant. If you’re a Spanish speaker, things look a bit different. TUDN and Univision handle the Spanish broadcasts, and you can often find matches streaming on ViX as well.
The UK Shift: TNT Sports Meets Amazon Prime
Over in the UK, the monopoly finally broke a little. For years, it was just BT Sport (now TNT Sports). Now? It's split.
TNT Sports (accessible via discovery+) is still the heavyweight. They carry the vast majority of matches—over 185 of them. But here’s the kicker: Amazon Prime Video now has the rights to the "top" Tuesday match every week. If your team is the headliner on a Tuesday, you might find yourself needing a Prime subscription just for that 90-minute window.
And don't forget the BBC. They finally got a slice of the action with a Wednesday night highlights show. It’s not live, but for the fans who miss the old Match of the Day style of European coverage, it’s a nostalgic win.
Canada, Australia, and Beyond: The DAZN and Stan Strongholds
Canada is remarkably straightforward. If you want to watch the Champions League in the Great White North, you go to DAZN. They have the exclusive rights. One app, every game. It’s probably the most user-friendly setup in the world right now, even if the subscription price has crept up recently.
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In Australia, Stan Sport is the home. You need a base Stan subscription plus the Sport add-on. They’ve been doing a solid job with 4K streams for the bigger matches, which makes a huge difference if you’ve actually spent the money on a nice TV.
Across the rest of the world:
- India: Sony Sports Network (SonyLIV) remains the place to go.
- Germany: It's a mix of DAZN and Amazon Prime.
- France: Canal+ is the primary broadcaster.
Why the New Format Changes Everything
We’re now deep into the "Swiss Model." Instead of four-team groups, we have one giant 36-team league. Teams now play eight matches in the opening stage rather than six.
What does this mean for you, the viewer?
It means the "League Phase" now stretches into late January. Usually, January was a dead zone for European football. Not anymore. Matchday 7 and 8 are happening in the dead of winter in 2026, which is great for entertainment but means you need to keep those subscriptions active longer than you used to.
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Also, the stakes have shifted. Because goal difference in a massive 36-team table matters so much, teams aren't "taking nights off" as often. Every goal you watch on a stream could be the difference between a team finishing 8th (direct qualification) or 9th (heading to a stressful playoff).
Dealing with Lag and "Spoilers"
One thing nobody talks about enough is the "streaming delay." If you’re watching on Paramount+ or discovery+, you’re likely 30 to 45 seconds behind the live action.
There is nothing worse than getting a "GOAL!" notification on your phone from an app like FotMob or LiveScore before you see the striker even take the shot on your screen. If you're watching via a streaming service, turn off your sports notifications. Seriously. It’s the only way to keep the tension real.
Actionable Steps for the Knockout Rounds
As we head toward the final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on May 30, 2026, the broadcast schedule gets tighter. The "big" channels start picking up the games more frequently.
If you’re looking to save money or just get organized:
- Audit your subscriptions: If you're in the US, check if your mobile provider or Walmart+ subscription includes Paramount+. Many people are paying for it twice without realizing it.
- The "Multi-View" Strategy: If you're watching on a desktop, Paramount+ and DAZN have started offering multi-screen views. Use them during the final league matchdays when everything happens simultaneously.
- Check the Local Listings for the Final: The Champions League final is often treated as a "protected" event in many countries and might be shown on free-to-air TV, even if the rest of the tournament was behind a paywall.
The hunt for where can I watch the champions league doesn't have to be a headache. Just pick your platform based on your region, silences those phone alerts, and enjoy the chaos of the new league format. The road to Budapest is long, but at least now you know which app to open.