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Three English clubs, a Scottish champion who arrived by the most painful route imaginable, and a field carrying Juventus, AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen — the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League has a draw worth watching before a ball is kicked. Thirty-six teams learn their eight opponents on Friday, and the fixture list follows days later. Here’s where to find every second of it, wherever you’re watching from.
When Is the Europa League 2026-27 Draw? Date and Start Time
The league phase draw takes place in Monaco on Friday, August 28, starting at 12:00 UK time (13:00 CET). The Conference League draw follows immediately afterwards in the same broadcast window.Elsewhere, that’s:
- 07:00 ET / 04:00 PT in North America
- 21:00 AEST in eastern Australia
- 20:00 KST in South Korea
Europa League 2026-27 TV Channels: Where to Watch by Country
Rights for the current cycle run through the end of 2026/27. Here’s the official broadcaster in each major market:
| Country / Region | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| Australia | Stan Sport |
| Belgium | RTBF, Telenet, Be TV (highlights) |
| Brazil | CazéTV |
| Canada | DAZN |
| China (PR) | iQIYI |
| Denmark | Disney+ |
| France | Canal+ |
| Germany | RTL |
| Indian Subcontinent | Sony (SonyLIV) |
| Ireland | Premier Sports |
| Italy | Sky |
| Japan | WOWOW, U-NEXT (highlights) |
| Mexico | Claro, ESPN |
| Netherlands | Ziggo Sport |
| New Zealand | DAZN |
| Poland | Polsat |
| Portugal | Sport TV, DAZN (highlights) |
| South Korea | SPO TV |
| Spain | Movistar Plus+ (Telefónica) |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | SuperSport |
| MENA | beIN Sports |
| South America (excl. Brazil) | ESPN |
| Türkiye | TRT |
| Ukraine | Megogo, Football TV UA |
| United Kingdom | TNT Sports, HBO Max |
| United States | Paramount+, DAZN, TUDN |
Free-to-Air or Subscription? How the Coverage Splits
The picture varies sharply by market, and the difference matters if you’re deciding what to pay for.
Germany is the standout: RTL is a free-to-air commercial network, meaning German viewers get Europa League football without a subscription. Türkiye’s TRT and Belgium’s RTBF are similarly public or free-to-air. Brazil is the most unusual case — CazéTV streams the competition on YouTube and Twitch, a genuinely free route in a market that historically sat behind pay-TV.
Everywhere else, it’s premium. Canal+ holds exclusive French rights, Movistar Plus+ covers Spain, and Sky carries Italy. In the United States, Paramount+ is the English-language home via CBS Sports, with TUDN and DAZN handling Spanish-language coverage. DAZN is also the sole route in Canada and New Zealand, while Stan Sport is exclusive in Australia.
Europa League 2026-27 Matchday Dates
The draw sets the pairings; the football starts in September.
| Matchday | Date |
|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | 16/17 September 2026 |
| Matchday 2 | 15 October 2026 |
| Matchday 3 | 22 October 2026 |
| Matchday 4 | 5 November 2026 |
| Matchday 5 | 26 November 2026 |
| Matchday 6 | 10 December 2026 |
| Matchday 7 | 21 January 2027 |
| Matchday 8 | 28 January 2027 |
The full fixture list, with kick-off times, is published by Sunday, August 30. Matchday 8 is played simultaneously across all 18 fixtures — the night broadcasters build whip-around coverage around, and the one to block out early. Tips.gg tracks how the odds move through those closing rounds.
How the Europa League Draw Works: 36 Teams, Four Pots
All 36 clubs sit in one league table. The line-up breaks down as:
- 12 clubs qualifying directly through domestic league position
- 1 slot reserved for the Conference League title holders — Crystal Palace
- 12 clubs coming through the Europa League play-off round
- 11 clubs dropping down from the Champions League third qualifying round and play-offs
Those 36 are split into four pots by UEFA club coefficient. Each club draws two opponents from every pot — one home, one away — for eight matches, four at home and four away. Teams are drawn manually from a bowl; automated software then assigns opponents and home/away allocation while satisfying every constraint at once.
The Conference League runs a shorter version: 36 teams, but six opponents — one from each of the six pots, three home and three away. The pots are paired (1&2, 3&4, 5&6), and a club gets one home and one away fixture within each pair. That field is made up of 24 Conference League play-off winners and the 12 losing sides from the Europa League play-off round.
Can Two Clubs From the Same Country Be Drawn Together?
Not from the same association — that’s blocked outright, so Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Sunderland cannot meet before the knockout rounds.
The commonly misstated part is the second rule. A club can be handed two opponents from any other single country; two is the maximum, not a ban. With three English clubs in the pool this year, several continental sides will end up with a pair of Premier League fixtures — and in a draw this congested, the software may have little choice.
Europa League 2026-27 Pots: The Confirmed Seeds
Final allocations aren’t fixed until Thursday evening, once the play-offs conclude. As it stands:
Pot 1: Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, AC Milan, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiacos
Pot 1 or 2: Real Sociedad, Marseille, Union Saint-Gilloise
Pot 2 or 3: Sparta Prague, Rennes, Sturm Graz, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Bournemouth
Pot 3 or 4: Celta Vigo, TSG Hoffenheim, Torreense
Europa League play-off second legs are played on August 27, with winners entering the draw. Champions League play-off second legs on August 25 and 26 feed their losers into the same pool.
Europa League 2026-27 Viewing FAQ
Do I need a subscription to watch the draw?
In the UK, yes — TNT Sports 4 or HBO Max. UEFA also streams draw ceremonies free via UEFA.com, UEFA.tv, the UEFA app and its YouTube channel in most territories.
Is the Conference League draw a separate broadcast?
No. Both run consecutively from 12:00 UK time.
Can I watch the Europa League for free anywhere?
Germany (RTL), Türkiye (TRT), Belgium (RTBF) and Brazil (CazéTV) all offer free routes to at least part of the coverage.
Where can I watch in the United States?
Paramount+ for English-language coverage, with TUDN and DAZN carrying Spanish-language matches.
Are all 189 league phase matches shown live?
Rights holders typically carry every fixture, though only a portion air on main linear channels — the rest go to streaming or secondary feeds.
This is the last season of the current rights cycle, which makes Friday’s draw the start of a farewell tour for several familiar broadcasters. From 2027-28, Sky Sports takes over Europa League coverage in the UK, Canal+ extends its French exclusivity, and Telemundo picks up US Spanish-language rights. Whatever channel you’re on this year, the destination is the same: Stadion Frankfurt, May 26, 2027.