Where to Watch Ballon d’Or 2025: Free Stream, TV & Time

There’s a strange thrill in trying to figure out exactly where to watch a global event like the Ballon d’Or — especially when every region seems to get a different answer. This guide cuts through the geo-confusion with verified, region-by-region options — so you land on the right stream, not a dead link.

Ceremony Date: September 22, 2025 ·
Venue: Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris ·
Official Broadcast Partner (Global): ballondor.com (free stream in select regions) ·
US Broadcaster: Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo ·
Ireland Free Stream: L’Equipe YouTube (geo-restricted) ·
Indonesia Stream: DAZN ID

This snapshot table lays out the key details for planning your viewing experience.

Where can I watch Ballon d’Or Live 2025?

The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony airs on September 22, 2025 from the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, and your access depends entirely on where you’re watching from. The good news: there’s a free official stream on ballondor.com for many regions — including the UK and Italy — as confirmed by Goal.com (sports media).

For US viewers, CBS Sports (US broadcaster) confirms the ceremony streams live on Paramount+ and the CBS Sports Golazo Network, with red carpet coverage starting at 2 p.m. ET.

• Indonesia: DAZN ID (paid subscription) — Goal.com (sports media)
• UK & Italy: Free via ballondor.com — UEFA (governing body)
• France & Ireland: Free via L’Equipe YouTube (geo-restricted) — Goal.com (sports media)

A full replay of the ceremony will be available on Dailymotion after the live broadcast, per Goal.com (sports media).

The implication: if you’re in a country without a dedicated broadcast deal, ballondor.com is your best bet. For everyone else, check the regional breakdown below, because a paid subscription in one place is a free stream in another.

What channel is the Ballon d’Or 2025 on?

There is no single global TV channel for the Ballon d’Or. Broadcast rights are sold country by country, and the mix of traditional TV and streaming varies wildly. UEFA (governing body) publishes the full list of broadcast partners, which is worth checking closer to the date.

In the US, the ceremony airs on CBS (available through Paramount+ and the CBS Sports Golazo Network). CBS Sports (US broadcaster) notes that the Golazo Network begins its coverage at 2 p.m. ET with red carpet segments before the main ceremony.

In France, L’Equipe broadcasts the event live on its YouTube channel for free — a rare no-paywall option. Germany’s coverage is on DAZN, while Spain’s Movistar+ holds the rights, as reported by Goal.com (sports media).

Japan and other Asian markets may have local broadcasters (like TV Asahi) carrying the event, but those confirmations are still pending from official UEFA lists.

The pattern: older markets (US, France) have traditional TV slots; younger streaming markets (Germany, Spain) rely on digital platforms. If you don’t see your country listed, the fallback is ballondor.com.

Where can I watch Ballon d’Or 2025 for free?

Free streaming is available, but it comes with geographic strings attached. The clearest free option: ballondor.com streams the ceremony live for countries without a dedicated broadcast partner — this includes the UK and Italy, as per Goal.com (sports media).

In France, the L’Equipe YouTube channel and website offer a free stream. However, this is geo-restricted — it works in Ireland and France, but may not work elsewhere. The Dailymotion replay is free and globally accessible after the ceremony, as noted by Goal.com (sports media).

For viewers in the US, Canada, Australia, India, and Indonesia, free streaming is not confirmed. You’ll need a subscription (Paramount+, beIN, Sony LIV, or DAZN) or rely on the Dailymotion replay.

The catch: free streams are region-locked by design. A VPN might work for ballondor.com access, but L’Equipe’s geo-fence is stricter. Check both platforms on the day — one may work where the other doesn’t.

How to watch Ballon d’Or in Ireland?

Irish viewers have a specific free option: the L’Equipe YouTube channel and L’Equipe’s website stream the ceremony at no cost, though the stream is geo-restricted to Ireland and France, as reported by Goal.com (sports media). The start time in Ireland is 7:30 p.m. IST (Irish Standard Time), matching UK BST.

There is no dedicated Irish TV broadcaster confirmed. If the L’Equipe stream fails, the fallback is the ballondor.com stream, though it may not be available in Ireland if UEFA considers it a covered market.

The local Irish edition of Goal.com (sports media) advises viewers to test both streams on ceremony day — one will almost certainly work.

Where to watch Ballon d’Or 2025 in the UK?

• Free on ballondor.com — no subscription required (Goal.com (sports media))
• Also available on TNT Sports and discovery+ for existing subscribers (YouTube (Official Ballon d’Or Channel))
• Start time: 8 p.m. BST

Where to watch Ballon d’Or 2025 in India?

• Watch on Sony LIV (paid subscription) (Goal.com (sports media))
• No confirmed free stream from top sources as of now
• Start time: approximately midnight IST (September 23 early morning) — unconfirmed, check official UEFA site

The pattern for Ireland, the UK, and India: free streams exist only where no local TV deal blocks them. India pays because Sony LIV holds exclusive rights. Irish viewers luck out via L’Equipe’s European reach.

Is the Ballon d’Or live on TV?

Yes, in several countries. The US broadcasts on CBS (through Paramount+). France’s TF1 or L’Equipe may carry it on linear TV, though L’Equipe’s primary delivery is YouTube. Germany, Spain, Australia, and India rely on streaming platforms, not traditional TV channels.

For countries without a dedicated TV broadcaster, the ceremony is stream-only via ballondor.com or platform-specific apps. UEFA (governing body) maintains a live-updating list of broadcast partners to confirm local availability.

What this means: if you’re in a country with a strong football broadcast tradition (US, France, Spain), TV is likely an option. If you’re in a streaming-first market (UK, Germany, India), you’re probably watching on a phone or laptop.

What time is the Ballon d’Or 2025?

The ceremony starts at 20:00-20:30 CEST (Central European Summer Time) on Monday, September 22, 2025, as stated by UEFA (governing body).

Here’s what that means for major time zones — note the late-night for Asia and early-morning for Australia:

The exact start time may shift by a few minutes — UEFA typically confirms the precise schedule about a week in advance. For US East Coast viewers, the 2 p.m. ET start means you can watch during lunch. For India and Australia, it’s a late-night or early-morning commitment.

How to prepare for the live stream

1. Check your region on the UEFA broadcast partner list to confirm availability of free vs paid options.
2. Choose your platform — ballondor.com for free regions, Paramount+/DAZN/Sony LIV for paid markets, or L’Equipe YouTube for Ireland/France.
3. Set up your device — download the required app (Paramount+, DAZN, Sony LIV) or bookmark ballondor.com on your mobile browser.
4. Test your stream at least 30 minutes before the 20:00-20:30 CEST start time to resolve any geo-restriction or login issues.

“The ceremony will be available live on ballondor.com for the UK, Italy and any other countries not listed with a broadcast partner.”

UEFA (governing body)

“Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo are the US streaming partners for the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony.”

CBS Sports (US broadcaster)

“L’Equipe’s YouTube channel and website will stream the event, though some geo-restrictions apply.”

Goal.com (sports media)

The Ballon d’Or 2025 isn’t a one-stream-fits-all event — it’s a patchwork of free and paid options across time zones and platforms. For a viewer in Ireland or the UK, the choice is simple: open ballondor.com or L’Equipe’s YouTube and enjoy. For a viewer in India or Indonesia, the calculation involves a subscription cost against the delayed free replay. For US and Australian fans, the Paramount+ or beIN subscription is the only reliable live path. The consequence: if you’re not in a free-stream region and haven’t pre-subscribed, you’ll be watching the highlights on Dailymotion the next morning — which for many fans is acceptable, but for the live-obsessed, it’s a miss.

Frequently asked questions