How to watch European Champions Cup final 2026 for FREE

The European Champions Cup final 2026 featured a clash between perennial runners-up Leinster and reigning champions Bordeaux Bègles at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao. Fans could watch the match for free on ITVX in the UK and France TV in France, along with various other paid streaming services available globally.

The match took place on Saturday, May 23, 2026, starting at 2:45 PM BST / 3:45 PM CET / 9:45 AM EDT. ITVX provided free streaming in the UK, with pre-match coverage beginning at 1:45 PM BST, while France 2 and the France TV streaming service offered coverage beginning at 3:10 PM CET in France. Fans outside their home countries were able to access their usual streams using a VPN, such as NordVPN, to circumvent geo-restrictions.

In the UK, in addition to ITVX, Premier Sports held the rights to broadcast the final. Coverage began at 1:45 PM BST, allowing viewers to subscribe for £17.99 per month or £12.99 per month if they signed a yearly contract. Irish viewers could also access the match through Premier Sports via various subscriptions.

In the United States, FloRugby held the rights to the match, requiring a subscription costing $39.99 per month or $155.88 per year. South African fans could watch via SuperSport, whose coverage started at 3:45 PM SAST, while in countries without specific broadcast deals, fans were directed to EPCR TV for live streams.

Leinster, aiming for their fifth Champions Cup title, were no strangers to this match's intensity, reaching their fourth final in five years. However, they faced a formidable opponent in Bordeaux Bègles, who entered the final as Champions Cup specialists, relying on their star player Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Bordeaux reached the final after defeating notable teams like Leicester Tigers and Top 14 champions Toulouse.

As for the teams, Leinster featured a line-up including Hugo Keenan, Garry Ringrose, and captain Caelan Doris, while Bordeaux's starting lineup included Salesi Rayasi, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, and captain Maxime Lucu. The referee for the match was England's Karl Dixon, assisted by Christophe Ridley and Hollie Davidson, with Marius van der Westhuizen acting as TMO.