Arsenal of England is preparing to kick off their journey in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26. The Gunners will face Spanish side Athletic Bilbao in the opening round of the new league phase of the competition.

The current edition of the Champions League features the new tournament format that started last season, with the number of participating clubs increased from 32 to 36.

Instead of the traditional group stage, every team now plays 8 matches in the league phase – 4 at home and 4 away. The top 8 clubs in the standings will qualify directly for the Round of 16, while teams ranked from 9th to 24th will compete in a two-legged playoff to secure a spot in the knockout stage.

Below, you’ll find the full details of the Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal Champions League match date, kickoff time, and broadcasting channels.

Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal Match Date in the Champions League

The opening-round clash between Athletic Bilbao and Arsenal will take place on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.

TV Channel Broadcasting Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal

In the Middle East and North Africa, the exclusive broadcasting rights for the UEFA Champions League are held by beIN Sports, and the Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal match will be shown live on beIN Sports HD1. Sports networks that own broadcasting rights for the Champions League vary by region, with some providing coverage for free while others require a paid subscription depending on their packages and services.

Official Broadcasters of the UEFA Champions League

The UEFA grants exclusive broadcasting rights for its competitions through multi-year contracts, allowing licensed broadcasters to distribute coverage across different regions. Among the main international channels that broadcast the Champions League are:

• Sky Sport, M4 Sport HD, Sky Sport Uno Italy, BT Sport, Polsat Sport Premium, TVB1, SRF zwei HD in Switzerland, Club RTL HD in Belgium, RSI La 2 HD, RTS Deux HD, CBC Sport HD, Varzish Sport HD, Varzesh TV Farsi 3 HD in Iran, Asr TV HD in Afghanistan, IRIB TV 3, RMC Sport 1 HD in France, Movistar Liga de Campeones in Spain, DAZN 1 Bar HD in Germany, Ziggo Sport Voetbal HD and SBS 6 HD in the Netherlands, VTM 2 HD in Belgium, as well as 5Sport.

The Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal clash marks the beginning of Arsenal’s campaign in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 under the new format. Fans can follow all the action live through official broadcasters such as beIN Sports in MENA and other international sports networks worldwide.

This highly anticipated encounter promises to be one of the standout fixtures in the opening round of Europe’s biggest club competition.