Barcelona vs PSG TV coverage plans for semifinal
Barcelona and PSG will have coverage plans that extend to American TV, not just traditional streaming platform Paramount+. CBS, the rights holder for the UEFA Champions League in the United States, is putting two games on the CBS broadcast channel. The first of those is Tuesday’s Barcelona game against the Ligue 1 champions. For reference, the other is on Wednesday, when Real Madrid travels to Manchester City.
To commemorate the game on CBS, the broadcaster will have an extended period of pregame coverage. The 90 minutes of pregame will cover both the Barcelona-PSG game and the Borussia Dortmund game against Atletico Madrid. That fixture is happening at the same time as the former game, but it is only available on Paramount+ for American audiences.
TV coverage for Barcelona vs PSG
Kickoff time: 3 p.m. ET / Noon PT – Tuesday, April 16
Stream now (in USA): Live on Paramount+ and CBS (via fuboTV)
Commentators: Chris Wittyngham and analyst Ray Hudson
US TV: CBS network
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As usual, Kate Abdo, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards will be in charge of the pregame and postgame coverage. As stated, there are 90 minutes of pregame analysis available in the buildup to the game with coverage beginning at 1:30 PM ET. On the CBS broadcast channel, coverage starts an hour before kickoff. Therefore, the first 30 minutes are only available on CBS Sports Golazo Network and Paramount+.
Chris Wittyngham and Ray Hudson will be on the call as they reprise their role as the broadcast voices for Barcelona vs PSG. They also had this duty for the game in Paris last week. For pitchside reports, Guillem Balague will be at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona to provide insight and interviews before and after the game.
Even though the game is free on the CBS OTA channel, there is a simulcast on Paramount+.
PSG vs Barcelona on CBS can pull major audience
CBS putting this contest on its over-the-air channel is not a new occurrence. Previously, other games in the knockout stages or the Champions League Final have done very well on CBS. For example, almost 1 million people tuned in for round of 16 ties in the 2022/23 campaign. That same season, the Champions League Final between Manchester City and Inter Milan surpassed 2 million viewers. The previous year’s final between Real Madrid and Liverpool averaged over 2.7 million viewers on CBS.
As this is just a quarterfinal clash, it may not live up to those record numbers. However, Barcelona carries a major following in the United States, and people will tune in. Likewise, the star power of PSG with Kylian Mbappe ensures this game will have flair. Barcelona may carry a slight edge after winning in the first leg. That does not mean this tie is complete. Recent editions of the Champions League have seen drama unfold in the second legs of these ties. Even in this rivalry, the biggest Champions League comeback of all time saw Barcelona overturn a 4-0 defeat in the first leg. That was back in the 2016/17 season. Hopefully, neutrals will have some of the same drama to watch on CBS on Tuesday.
PHOTO: IMAGO