How to watch the UEFA Champions League Draw

With anticipation building, fans want to know how to watch the UEFA Champions League draw in the United States.

The draw features all 32 teams in the final competition. Wednesday’s final qualifying games cemented the last of those teams entering the group stage. That group stage starts in just a couple of weeks, with the first games scheduled for September 6 and 7. Of course, the actual schedule comes out once the teams slot away into individual groups.

The UEFA Champions League group stage draw is Thursday, August 25, at noon ET. Here is how to watch the UEFA Champions League draw for American audiences.

How to watch the Champions League draw

In accordance with its coverage of the UEFA Champions League and other UEFA competitions, CBS holds the rights to the draw. Therefore, CBS provides two ways for people to watch the Champions League draw.

The first of those is on Paramount+. This is the paid-streaming service from CBS, which costs $4.99 per month. There is also an annual plan for $49.99. Paramount+ is the home of all UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League games throughout the season. Plus, there is dedicated studio coverage for the midweek games with stellar crews.

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If you do not subscribe to Paramount+, the draw is also available on CBS Sports HQ. This free channel is a 24/7 channel that is available as a website courtesy of CBS. The broadcast, as well as shoulder coverage on either side of the Champions League draw, is completely free. You do not have to authenticate with a TV provider or streaming login. CBS Sports HQ is also available on Paramount+ as one of its sports channels.

CBS Coverage of the Champions League draw

As is the case with much of CBS’s coverage of UEFA competitions, there is a strong contingent for the studio crew of coverage for the draw. Poppy Miller is the host as analysts Ian Joy, Luis Garcia, Jimmy Conrad and Fabrizio Romano make up the rest of the crew.

Most of these names feature on CBS’s other crews, whether that be UEFA competitions or Serie A.

What is the Champions League draw?

This event determines the groups for the upcoming premier club competition in Europe. In total there are 32 teams to be sorted from over a dozen different countries. These 32 teams go into four pots. Pots differ based on the 2022 UEFA club coefficients, a method of ranking and seeing the teams to ensure there are not too many ‘overpowered’ teams in one group. Then, each group features one team from each pot, realizing the eight groups for the competition.

Pot 1 features last season’s champions of the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid, and Europa League winners, Eintracht Frankfurt. Joining those two are the winners of the six biggest leagues. The exclusion is LaLiga, which Real Madrid also won. Therefore, the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue Un, Primeira Liga and Eredivisie winners go to Pot 1. After that, there are eight teams in each pot, divided by UEFA club coefficient.

The competition proper for the UEFA Champions League starts September 6. All group stage games of the competition conclude before the World Cup in November, making it more frequent and packed than a traditional campaign.