Don't Miss Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal: TV Channel, Live Stream and Kick-Off Time for the Champions League Showdown
Athletic Bilbao v Arsenal lights up the Champions League — how to watch live on TV and radio, plus kick-off time.
Arsenal open their 2025/26 Champions League adventure in Spain, because of course they do. The League Phase (yes, that new format is still a bit weird) throws them straight into San Mames on Tuesday night against Athletic Bilbao. Arteta got the Gunners to the semis last season before PSG shut the door, and with a five-year trophy drought hanging over everything, he could really use a clean, professional start here. Bilbao are not exactly the soft launch you order: they are back in the Champions League after a Europa League semi run last year, and they are flying early in LaLiga.
The essentials
- Date: Tuesday 16 September 2025
- Kick-off: 5:45pm
- TV: TNT Sports 1, live from 5pm
- Streaming: TNT Sports via discovery+ Premium monthly pass (no contract). You can also get TNT Sports if you already have BT Broadband: add it from £18/month, or go for the Big Sport package at £40/month, which bundles all TNT Sports plus 11 Sky Sports channels via a NOW pass. TNT Sports is available inside discovery+, which you can stream straight to your smart TV. Regular subscribers can watch on laptops, phones, and tablets in the discovery+ app. discovery+ is now the streaming home of TNT Sports, covering live Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Premiership Rugby, UFC, Boxing, and MotoGP. For plan details, check discoveryplus.com.
- Radio: BBC Radio 5 Live. Listen on DAB, MW 693 kHz / 909 kHz / 990 kHz, through most TV packages, or online via the BBC website and the BBC Sounds app.
Why this one matters
This is the League Phase opener, which means banking points early actually matters now. Finish in the top eight and you go straight to the last 16; everyone else deals with extra jeopardy. Arsenal should be aiming for the straight-through route, and doing it away to a high-energy Bilbao side would set exactly the tone Arteta wants.
Form check: Bilbao have three wins from their first four LaLiga games and sit fourth. They have genuine pace and punch up front with the Williams brothers, and striker Oihan Sancet is a handful between the lines. As for Arsenal, they were a step from the final last spring before PSG ended it, which is great context and also not a trophy. Pressure acknowledged.
Odds, if that is your thing
bet365 currently lists: Athletic Bilbao 10/3, Draw 12/5, Arsenal 17/20.
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