The world's biggest club soccer tournament is now in the semi-finals and excitement is brewing. To make sure you catch every match of the Champions League, we've rounded up all of the best ways you can watch the action online without cable. The good news is that it's pretty easy to stream every game live during the finals. The bad news is that it'll cost you.
While there are ways you can stream matches for free, it may take a bit of planning to strategically subscribe to a free trial at the right time. Can it be done? Yes, but it won't be as cut and dry as simply subscribing to a streamer for a month. There are also ways you can stream the Champions League finals from other countries if you're planning on traveling in the next few months. Don't worry — we've got you covered with our top VPN picks for streaming as well.
What is the difference between Premier League and Champions League?
The Premier League (EPL) is England's domestic league and features English teams playing against one another. The Champions League is a European league and features the 32 best teams in Europe playing against each other, including the top finishers in the Premier League.
When can I watch Champions League finals in the U.S.?
The 2022-2023 Champions League season(opens in a new tab) began in September 2022, followed by a hiatus between November and February. The quarter-finals are broken into two legs, which happened on April 11 and 12, then April 18 and 19. Next up is the semi-finals on May 9 and 10, where Manchester City will duke it out with Real Madrid once again (a repeat of the 2022 semi-finals) and Inter Milan and AC Milan will go head to head in the first all-Italian semi-final since 2003. The Champions League final is set to take place on June 10, 2023, in Istanbul.
Quarter-finals – 1st leg: April 11 and 12, 2023
Quarter-finals – 2nd leg: April 18 and 19, 2023
Semi-finals – 1st leg: May 9 and 10, 2023
Semi-finals – 2nd leg: May 16 and 17, 2023
Final: June 10, 2023
Can I watch the UEFA Champions League for free?
The only way to watch the UEFA Champions League games for free in 2023 is with a free trial through a streaming app. Paramount+ offers a free seven-day trial, YouTube TV offers a free three-week trial, and FuboTV offers a free 30-day trial for Best Buy Totaltech members, to name a few. If you're strategic with your subscriptions and cancel at the perfect times, you can certainly figure out a way to stream every game in the finals for free — but we'll leave all of that planning to you. Check out all of the streaming options below, including free trial information.
Where can I watch Champions League soccer in the US?
This season, every Champions League match, including the finals, is streaming on Paramount+ for those in the U.S. This is the best place to watch matches live online, so kudos if you're already a Paramount+ subscriber. If not, you can score a week for free(opens in a new tab) to test the waters, then pay just $4.99/month until the final match on June 10. If you commit to an annual subscription, you'll even save 16%. Pro tip: Walmart+ members(opens in a new tab) can also secure a Paramount+ subscription for free.
A live TV subscription like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, or FuboTV can also grant you access to some live games (any shown on CBS, TUDN, and UniMás). These options can be pricey if all you're after is Champions League soccer, but they do come in handy for other live TV events.
Another option, albeit a more complicated one, is to connect to a VPN and watch on a network like BT Sport. Based in the UK, BT Sport Monthly Pass(opens in a new tab) costs about $37.58/month, which is significantly cheaper than practically any live TV streamer in the U.S. However, it's limited to sports content only and VPNs do require monthly fees. So depending on which one you choose (more on that below), this could end up being more trouble than it's worth.
Paramount+(opens in a new tab) — 7-day free trial, then $49.99/year (save 16%) or $4.99/month
Paramount+(opens in a new tab) — free with Walmart+ membership (save $49.99/year)
Hulu + Live TV(opens in a new tab) — no free trial, $69.99/month
YouTube TV(opens in a new tab) — 3-week free trial, then $62.99/month
$72.99/month(save $30) for three monthsFuboTV(opens in a new tab) — 7-day free trial, then $74.99/month
FuboTV(opens in a new tab) — 30-day free trial for Best Buy Totaltech members, then $74.99/month
BT Sport Monthly Pass(opens in a new tab) via VPN (UK) — $37.58/month
DAZN(opens in a new tab) via VPN (CA) — $24.99/month
DirecTV Stream(opens in a new tab) — 5-day free trial, then starting at $64.99/month
$74.99/monthfor three monthsViX+ (Spanish coverage)(opens in a new tab) — 99 cents for your first month, then $6.99/month
What is the best VPN for streaming Champions League from anywhere in the world?
Whether you're in the U.S. and choose to go the VPN route to stream the Champions League games or you're traveling abroad(opens in a new tab) looking for a way to stay in the loop during the finals, here are our top picks for a VPN. Just be sure to check out the UEFA official list of broadcast partners and streamers(opens in a new tab) to find the appropriate outlet for your location.
ExpressVPN: Save 49% on a 15-month plan(opens in a new tab)
It's not cheap, but ExpressVPN offers a huge network of over 3,000+ servers around the globe, a user-friendly app, and a strong commitment to data protection. It's our favorite full-featured VPN on the market and it's currently offering a 15-month plan for 49% off.
Read our full review of ExpressVPN.
CyberGhost VPN: Save 84% on a 27-month plan(opens in a new tab)
CyberGhost VPN features 7,000+ dedicated VPN servers in over 90 countries, which should make streaming Champions League games a breeze from anywhere in the world. As Mashable shopping reporter Haley Henschel noted, it also provides servers specifically optimized for streaming, as well as cheap fixed rates.
Read our full review of CyberGhost VPN.
Proton VPN: Save 50% on a 2-year Plus plan(opens in a new tab)
If you're worried about security, you may want to stick with Proton VPN. While it's not "the biggest or most well-rounded VPN on this list," noted Mashable's Haley Henschel, "it deserves major props for its commitment to consumer privacy." There are physical servers all over Europe, which should make connected to a European IP address and streaming the Champions League finals fairly straightforward.
Read our full review of ProtonVPN.
NordVPN Standard: Save 75% on a 27-month Standard plan(opens in a new tab)
NordVPN is a top contender for a number of reasons: an unrivaled suite of top-notch security features, a Threat Protection feature, over 5,000 obfuscated servers, and a sweet deal on a 27-month Standard plan. It's not the best choice for newbies, but if you're looking for a powerful full-featured option with a reputation that backs it up, NordVPN is a solid pick.
Read our full review of NordVPN.
