EHF Champions League Men is back!

The time has come for the men’s handball elite to make their long-awaited return to the court when the EHF Champions League Men bounces back into arenas around Europe on Wednesday.

Europe’s premium competition throws off for the 2020/21 season with the 16 teams knowing that lifting the trophy would land them the biggest prize in the history of the competition: one million Euro.

That gives clubs a huge incentive going into a season that also includes several new changes and exciting campaigns that will raise the profile of the top-flight even further.

The fresh additions to competition’s promotion pay tribute to the start of the exclusive media and marketing contract with Infront and DAZN Group which began on 1 July that promises to raise standards even higher on and off the court.

It’s Showtime for Champions!

Among the new activations that fans can expect is the Showtime for Champions campaign, which encourages fans to tune in every week to witness top-class handball entertainment.

The hugely popular Match of the Week concept continues, focusing on one high-profile match to showcase everything that makes the EHF Champions League Men the most dynamic and attractive of indoor team competitions.

Just like the DELO EHF Champions League, which began with a bang over the weekend, the competition has had a facelift since the beginning of the new era; with a new golden colour scheme incorporated throughout the new brand, which includes a new logo, new trophy and new sound.

Handball fans watching around the world will also experience the season in a more digitally engaging way than ever. As part of a commitment to bring supporters even closer to the game, EHF Marketing partnered with IQONIQ, an innovative fan engagement platform.

Every second counts

The countdown to the new season is well and truly on with the first round of thrilling matches due to throw off this week.

With the interest in the EHF Champions League Men at an all-time high, every game will be shown live across the continent every Wednesday and Thursday – including on the relaunched and enhanced EHFTV.

As part of the new ‘appointment to view’ concept, matches will be played over two slots at 18:45 and 20:45 CEST/CET on both days.

The EHF Champions League Men also welcomed a host of new TV partners for the forthcoming campaign, including DAZN in Austria, Germany, Spain and Switzerland.

Miguel Mateo, Director Media Operations EHF Marketing, said: “The season is going to be one the most challenging but despite these hurdles, EHF Marketing, together with their new partners Infront and DAZN Group, have been working hard in the last months to guarantee the best experience for the EHF Champions League fans to ensure the 2020/21 season will be one to remember.

“The renewal of the partnerships with most of our TV broadcasters, together with the arrival of new and prestigious partners in key markets, shows us that we are in the right way to make handball one of the most attractive sports not only live from the arenas, but also in front of the screens – whether that is on TV or via mobile devices.”

Broadcasters for the 2020/21 season

ALB – Arenasport

AUT – DAZN

BIH – Arenasport

BLR – Belarus TV

CRO – HRT, Arenasport

CZE – SportTV

DEN – TV3 Sports

ESP – DAZN, TV3 Catalunya

FIN – NENT Group

FRA – Eurosport

GER – DAZN

GEO – Silknet

GRE – OTE

HUN – Sport TV

ITA – Eleven Sports

KOS – Arenasport

LTU – LRT

MKD – Arenasport

MNE – Arenasport

NED – Ziggo

NOR – NENT Group

POL – Eurosport

POR – Porto Canal

ROU – Digi Sport, Telekom Sports, Look Sports

RUS – Match TV

SLO – Arenasport

SRB – Arenasport

SUI – DAZN

SVK – Sport TV

SWE - NENT Group

UKR – Poverkhnost

Worldwide - ehfTV.com (Geo-restrictions could apply)

Standby for a season to remember

With eight matches scheduled to take place over Wednesday and Thursday in this week’s first round of matches, the EHF Media and Communications department has released a media guide to mark the start of the EHF Champions League Men 2020/21 group phase. 

Up until the play-off matches the media guide will provide journalists with essential information on the competition’s history and its future, its new brand and all 16 teams participating in men’s elite club handball competition.

Inside the guide are team profiles, arena information, head-to-head stats in European club competitions, profiles of all 16 head coaches and key players plus biographical data of all 300-plus players eligible to compete in the continent’s top flight.

To download and read the guide, simply click here.