How to watch UEFA Champions League in Japan

UEFA Champions League fans in Japan can watch and stream all UCL games live and exclusively on pay-television broadcaster WOWOW. The satellite TV network secured the rights to UEFA’s premier club competitions for the 2024 to 2027 TV cycle, thus televising and streaming the UCL for the 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27 seasons.

WOWOW entered the UCL broadcasting scene during the 2020-21 season after DAZN prematurely ended its contract due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They extended their previous exclusive Champions League deal from 2021-22 to 2023-24. This renewal also includes an extension of their UEFA Europa League rights and the acquisition of Conference League rights, which they did not own under the previous deal.

WOWOW’s UEFA Champions League coverage includes the entire League Phase, which was introduced during this rights cycle (2024-25), as well as the previous group-stage fixtures. Additionally, viewers in Japan can watch all Champions League knockout-stage matches on WOWOW, including the UCL Final, which is available on both linear and streaming television.

WOWOW, WOWOW Prime, WOWOW Cinema, and WOWOW Live televise UEFA Champions League games in Japan, while WOWOW On Demand serves as the exclusive UCL streaming platform in the country. Though both WOWOW’s linear and streaming platforms are subscription-based, viewers do not need to pay for both, as subscribing to one grants access to the other at no additional cost.

To watch WOWOW’s UEFA Champions League coverage on satellite TV, Japanese fans need a TV or set-top box with a BS tuner, a B-CAS card, and a BS-compatible satellite dish. Streaming UCL games in Japan requires the WOWOW On Demand app or access to its official website.

The WOWOW On Demand app is accessible on smart TVs and streaming devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and smart TVs from major brands, including LG, Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, Hisense, and more.

The app can also be downloaded on smartphones and tablets and is compatible with Nebula and Aladdin projectors, as well as select Audi car models. Streaming on a PC simply requires subscribers to access the WOWOW On Demand website via a supported browser, such as Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

Furthermore, WOWOW’s UEFA Champions League coverage is available through third-party TV providers, including Amazon Prime Video, Abema, and Lemino Premium, which distribute WOWOW’s sports content, including the UCL. However, availability is subject to change.

WOWOW is the exclusive UEFA Champions League broadcaster in Japan, securing the rights to Europe’s premier club competition on a four-year deal spanning the 2027-28 to 2030-31 seasons. This agreement, announced in March 2026, ensures that the satellite TV network remains the home of UEFA club competitions in Japan for a decade, having first acquired the rights in the 2020-21 season.

WOWOW’s UEFA rights extension not only covers the organization’s premier competition, the UEFA Champions League, but also the Europa League and Conference League, as well as select matches from the UEFA Youth League. Additionally, the Japanese satellite network has added UEFA Women’s Champions League broadcast rights to its portfolio as part of this deal.

Due to this agreement, fans in Japan can watch every UEFA Champions League game live on WOWOW’s linear television channels, primarily WOWOW, WOWOW Prime, WOWOW Cinema, and WOWOW Live. Japanese viewers can also stream live UCL matches on the broadcaster’s WOWOW On Demand streaming service.

WOWOW’s UCL coverage includes the entire League Phase, which was introduced in the 2024-25 season, the Knockout Stage, and the prestigious UEFA Champions League Final, along with match highlights, replays, a Champions League magazine, and other UCL-related content.

To watch live UCL games in Japan, fans require either a subscription to WOWOW or WOWOW On Demand. Viewers subscribed to WOWOW’s satellite TV platform gain free access to the streaming service, and vice versa for customers who subscribe to WOWOW On Demand.

To watch WOWOW’s UEFA Champions League coverage on satellite TV, Japanese fans need a TV or set-top box with a BS tuner, a B-CAS card, and a BS-compatible satellite dish. Streaming UCL games in Japan requires the WOWOW On Demand app or access to its official website.

The WOWOW On Demand app is available on smart TVs and streaming devices, including Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and smart TVs from major brands such as LG, Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, Hisense, and more.

The app can be downloaded on smartphones and tablets, and is compatible with Nebula and Aladdin projectors, as well as select Audi car models. Streaming on a PC requires subscribers to access the WOWOW On Demand website via a supported browser, such as Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.