What channel is UEFA Champions League draw? Start time, TV schedule to watch 2024-25 league phase draw in USA

The UEFA Champions League knockout rounds are scheduled to take place in early 2025, as detailed below, when the participants are determined:

- Knockout round play-offs: January 21, 2025
- Round of 16: February 21, 2025
- Quarterfinals and semifinals: To be determined

The Champions League draw for the 2024/25 season will take place in Monaco on Thursday, August 29 at 6 p.m. local time. Here's how that time translates across some of the major US time zones:

- Eastern Time: Thurs, Aug. 29, 12 p.m.
- Central Time: Thurs, Aug. 29, 11 a.m.
- Mountain Time: Thurs, Aug. 29, 10 a.m.
- Pacific Time: Thurs, Aug. 29, 9 a.m.

The Champions League league phase draw will work in 2024 as follows: The old group stage has been scrapped and now a "league phase" will be organized to determine the eight-game schedule for each of the 36 participants. Just like before, all teams will be distributed between four pots, determined by UEFA club coefficient at the start of the season. The only exception is the reigning Champions League winner, who is placed into pot one regardless of standing. Each team will then be drawn against two clubs from each other pot, including their own pot, one to play at home and the other away.

To create the matchups, the use of manually drawing balls from pots will no longer be a major part of the proceedings. This is because in the new format, it would take ages to draw all the required factors from pots. Instead, the initial team will be drawn from the pot, at which point an AI computer software will be used to create the matchups and determine home and away designations. While this will help the time required for the draw to complete, it will likely destroy the aura of impartiality that is created by a manual draw.

Tickets for Champions League matches cannot be purchased directly from UEFA for European matches. Instead, the primary ticket sales are conducted by the participating clubs themselves so that fans can access them seamlessly just as they would other matches. Once the tickets are distributed, fans can still get tickets on secondary markets, with StubHub International being the best place to find tickets to Champions League games.

To sum up, the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League knockout rounds will take place in early 2025, and the draw for the competition is scheduled for August 29, 2024. The league phase will feature a new format with teams drawn from four pots and an AI software used to determine matchups. Tickets can be purchased through participating clubs or secondary markets like StubHub International.