Champions League group stage draw: Date, TV channel, live stream, how to watch, seeding & rules

The Champions League is the most prestigious club competition in European football, with the continent's elite teams battling it out each season for the right to lift the famous trophy.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan are just some of the major clubs competing in UEFA's flagship tournament, with the game's best players colliding as a result.

Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about the Champions League group stage draw, including when it is, how to watch it live, teams' seeding and more.

This article contains affiliate links. When you subscribe through the links, we may earn a commission.

When is the 2023-24 Champions League group stage draw?

The 2023-24 Champions League group stage draw will be held on Thursday, August 31, 2023.

Proceedings are scheduled to begin at 12 noon ET in the U.S. and 5 pm BST in the UK.

It is being staged at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco for the first time in three years. The venue had traditionally been used by UEFA for a variety of tournament draws in the past.

How to watch & stream the Champions League group stage draw

UEFA's official website, uefa.com, will be streaming the draw live. You can access the stream here.

Official broadcast partners usually show the draw live on their respective TV channels too.

In the UK, TNT has the rights to Champions League games and Paramount+ has the rights in the U.S.

GOAL is covering the draw live and you can stay up to date with the latest from Monaco with our live blog here.

Watch Champions League on Paramount+

Find the best deals

Watch Champions League on TNT Sports

Find the best deals

Which teams are in the 2023-24 Champions League group stage?

A total of 32 teams compete in the Champions League group stage. There are 26 automatic qualifiers and they are joined by the six winners from the Champions League play-off round.

Teams are divided into four pots of eight for the draw.

There are five teams from Spain and four each from England, Germany and Italy. These teams account for more than half of the representation in the competition.

Among the teams who are hoping to make a splash in this season's competition are Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Arsenal and, of course, the defending champions Manchester City.

Premier League representatives Newcastle United are back at the top table for the first time in over 20 years, while USMNT fans will be interested viewers as Christian Pulisic and AC Milan look to establish themselve again.

You can see the confirmed seeding pots state of play below.

Group stage draw seeding pots 2023-24

Getty

When does the 2023-24 Champions League group stage start?

The 2023-24 Champions League group stage is set to begin with matchday one on September 19 and September 20.

You can see all the group stage dates below.

Where to watch the Champions League on TV & stream live online

Champions League games can be watched live and streamed on Paramount+ in the United States. Check out the upcoming live Champions League games to watch here.

In the United Kingdom, TNT Sports broadcasts Champions League games exclusively and you can see which upcoming games can be watched live on TV here.

Watch Champions League on Paramount+

Find the best deals

Watch Champions League on TNT Sports

Find the best deals

Key Champions League links

• Champions League news, fixtures & tables
• How to watch & stream the Champions League
• Live soccer on U.S. TV today
• Watch live sports on Paramount+ - here's how
• Live football on UK TV today
• Best TNT Sports deals
• Champions League Power Rankings