As I look ahead to the 2024-25 AFC Champions League season, the competition will run from August 6th, 2024 through May 4th, 2025. I’ll be able to catch the matches on various channels, depending on where I am and which teams are playing.
In a hurry? Paramount+ provides access to most of the AFC Champions League. It is just $7.99/month and comes with a free 7-day trial.
Table Of Contents
The AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Champions League is Asia’s version of the UEFA Champions League in that it involves the continent’s top club teams, which play over several months leading to a marquee final. This competition has existed in one manner or another since 1967 and under its current moniker since 2002.
Those looking to watch these matches in the US will find it via CBS Sports. Some matches will show on CBS and CBS Sports Network (CBSSN). But most should be available to stream directly from Paramount+.
AFC Champions League Channels
This competition can be viewed on a variety of channels around the world. Understandably, the availability of its matches is much higher in Asia and, in particular, the countries of the clubs participating in the matches.
United States
In the US, CBS Sports has the rights to AFC Champions League matches. But it is not clear that they ever appear on CBS or CBSSN.
However, extensive coverage of the competition is available online through CBS’s streaming service Paramount+ starting at $7.99/month. It appears that all matches from the group stage through the final are streamed through that platform.
You can watch the AFC Champions League on most devices including Amazon Fire TV, Android mobile, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iPhone/iPad, LG TVs, PlayStation 4, Roku, Samsung TVs, and Xbox. See our Paramount+ review for details.
Elsewhere
The AFC Champions League does not appear to be broadcast or streamed in Canada, Ireland, or United Kingdom. But Paramount+ is available in all those countries.
Meanwhile, regular coverage is available in AFC member country Australia through that nation’s own version of Paramount+ ($8.99 AUD/mo).
Select matches are shown in New Zealand on beIN Sports Connect and Sky Sport. There have been discussions about Paramount+ coming to the country but it has yet to happen.
AFC Champions League
The first edition of the AFC Champions League, which was then named the Asian Champion Club Tournament, took place from May 6 through Dec 19, 1967. It involved six clubs playing a series of two-leg ties leading up to a single-match final.
Actually, Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv ended up receiving byes through the three rounds prior to that point and only played the final. It defeated Selangor FA (Malaysia), 2-1, there.
However, the competition was only contested three more times (1969, 1970, and 1971) before it experienced a significant hiatus, which ended in 1985. That was the start of its Asian Cup Championship era, and this event in its different iterations has taken place on a regular basis since.
In 2002, it became the AFC Champions League. The main difference with the latter change was the addition of numerous cup winners to the event.
Only two clubs have lifted this competition’s trophy on more than two occasions. Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) has done so four times (1991, 2000, 2019, and 2021) while Pohang Steelers (South Korea) has been the champions of Asia on three occasions (1997, 1998, and 2009). Eleven teams have done so twice, and a further 11 have one championship to their credit. Nineteen have played in the final but not won it.
Who Participates?
Unlike most other Champions Leagues around the world, Asia’s version leaves out several countries, who instead take part in the AFC Cup, which, in some ways, is similar to the UEFA Europa League in Europe.
A total of 24 countries are eligible to send teams to the AFC Champions League. The exact teams chosen is dependent on a formula that is similar to the UEFA coefficient. To put that figure into perspective, consider that there are 47 AFC countries.
For the 2022 competition, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand were all initially awarded four spots apiece. In addition, Iraq and Australia initially received three spots apiece. And Uzbekistan and the Philippines were initially awarded two places apiece.
Structure
For the 2022 competition, preliminary and playoff rounds precede the group stage. Games in both rounds were played as single matches. Then, a total of 40 teams participated in the group stage, which involved 10 groups of four clubs apiece.
Each side played the other three teams home and away for a total of six matches. The 10 first-place teams and six of the second-place sides advanced to the knockout phase, which consists of two-leg ties from the Round of 16 to the final.
For the entire Champions League, the competition is divided into an East Region and a West Region, resulting in completely separate paths to the final. In other words, the only point of the event in which a club from Saudi Arabia would meet one from Japan would be in the final.
However, note that many knockout phase matches for that edition have been pushed to 2023, and the final has been scheduled for Feb 19 and 26 of that year. That is partially to set up a new calendar for the event, starting with the 2023-24 competition. However, the format appears to have little or no changes.
FIFA Club World Cup
In the past, the AFC Champions League winner would advance to the FIFA Club World Cup. Another member might as well; this occurs if an AFC country is hosting the Club World Cup. In that instance, that nation’s top league’s champion would participate as well.
However, the former every-year-format of the Club World Cup was set to expire at the end of the 2021 competition, which was contested in February 2022. The plan for the future is an expansive edition occurring every four years and involving three AFC clubs. However, when that will happen is in doubt, and the every-year format may continue in 2022 and beyond.
2024-2025 AFC Champions League Schedule
- Qualifying: Aug 6 — 13
- Round 1: Aug 6
- Round 2: Aug 13
- Group stage: Sep 16 — Feb 19
- Matchday 1: Sep 16 — 18
- Mon Sep 16 : Al Ain vs Al-Sadd
- Mon Sep 16 : Al-Shorta vs Al-Nassr
- Mon Sep 16 : Esteghlal vs Al-Gharafa
- Mon Sep 16 : Al-Ahli vs Persepolis
- Tue Sep 17 : Pakhtakor vs Al Wasl
- Tue Sep 17 : Al-Rayyan vs Al-Hilal
- Matchday 2: Sep 30 — Oct 2
- Mon Sep 30 : Al-Sadd vs Esteghlal
- Mon Sep 30 : Persepolis vs Pakhtakor
- Mon Sep 30 : Al Wasl vs Al-Ahli
- Mon Sep 30 : Al-Nassr vs Al-Rayyan
- Tue Oct 1 : Al-Gharafa vs Al Ain
- Tue Oct 1 : Al-Hilal vs Al-Shorta
- Matchday 3: Oct 21 — 23
- Mon Oct 21 : Al-Shorta vs Pakhtakor
- Mon Oct 21 : Al-Sadd vs Persepolis
- Mon Oct 21 : Al Ain vs Al-Hilal
- Mon Oct 21 : Al-Rayyan vs Al-Ahli
- Tue Oct 22 : Al-Gharafa vs Al Wasl
- Tue Oct 22 : Esteghlal vs Al-Nassr
- Matchday 4: Nov 4 — 6
- Mon Nov 4 : Al Wasl vs Al-Sadd
- Mon Nov 4 : Al-Ahli vs Al-Shorta
- Mon Nov 4 : Persepolis vs Al-Gharafa
- Mon Nov 4 : Al-Hilal vs Esteghlal
- Tue Nov 5 : Pakhtakor vs Al-Rayyan
- Tue Nov 5 : Al-Nassr vs Al Ain
- Matchday 5: Nov 25 — 27
- Mon Nov 25 : Al-Gharafa vs Al-Nassr
- Mon Nov 25 : Al-Rayyan vs Persepolis
- Mon Nov 25 : Al Ain vs Al-Ahli
- Mon Nov 25 : Esteghlal vs Pakhtakor
- Tue Nov 26 : Al-Shorta vs Al Wasl
- Tue Nov 26 : Al-Sadd vs Al-Hilal
- Matchday 6: Dec 2 — 4
- Mon Dec 2 : Persepolis vs Al-Shorta
- Mon Dec 2 : Al-Ahli vs Esteghlal
- Mon Dec 2 : Al Wasl vs Al-Rayyan
- Mon Dec 2 : Al-Nassr vs Al-Sadd
- Tue Dec 3 : Pakhtakor vs Al Ain
- Tue Dec 3 : Al-Hilal vs Al-Gharafa
- Matchday 7: Feb 3 — 4, 11 — 12
- Mon Feb 3 : Al Ain vs Al-Rayyan
- Mon Feb 3 : Al-Sadd vs Al-Ahli
- Mon Feb 3 : Al-Nassr vs Al Wasl
- Mon Feb 3 : Esteghlal vs Al-Shorta
- Tue Feb 4 : Al-Gharafa vs Pakhtakor
- Tue Feb 4 : Al-Hilal vs Persepolis
- Matchday 8: Feb 17 — 19
- Mon Feb 17 : Pakhtakor vs Al-Sadd
- Mon Feb 17 : Al-Shorta vs Al Ain
- Mon Feb 17 : Persepolis vs Al-Nassr
- Mon Feb 17 : Al-Ahli vs Al-Gharafa
- Tue Feb 18 : Al-Rayyan vs Esteghlal
- Tue Feb 18 : Al Wasl vs Al-Hilal
- Matchday 1: Sep 16 — 18
- Knockout stage: Mar 3 — May 4
- Round of 16: Mar 3 — 5 First leg, Mar 10 — 12 Second leg
- Quarter-finals: Apr 25 — 26
- Semi-finals: Apr 29 — 30
- Final: May 4
Wrapping Up
Those in the US looking to catch all of the AFC Champions League action can enjoy extensive coverage of the competition thanks to a Paramount+ subscription for $7.99/month.
It airs on live TV in many other countries. Also check to see if Paramount+ is available where you live since it has been added to a number of countries.
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My expertise in sports coverage, particularly for out-of-market games and regional sports networks, stems from years of hands-on experience as an early adopter of streaming services and my work addressing fans' viewing challenges. As a longtime cord-cutter and subscriber to multiple streaming platforms, I combine my technical knowledge with practical user experience, making me a leading expert in the field of sports streaming and entertainment technology.
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