Crystal Palace lifted the Conference League last season and used it to jump straight into the Europa League, which leaves UEFA's third-tier competition without a returning champion in 2026/27.

The league phase runs from 15 October 2026 through to the final at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul on 2 June 2027, and every match streams in Australia on one platform.

Is the Conference League on Free-to-Air in Australia?

Only the final. Nine's UEFA deal covers the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League finals, all three simulcast live and free on the 9Network and 9Now. Everything before that, qualifying rounds through the semi-finals, is subscription only.

It's the same setup as UEFA's other two club competitions, which catches out punters who assume the smaller trophy comes with easier access.

Stan Sport: The Home of the Conference League

Stan Sport holds exclusive Australian rights to every Conference League match through 2026/27, live and on demand. The same subscription covers the Champions League, the Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup, so following all four costs nothing extra.

You'll need a base Stan subscription plus the separate Stan Sport add-on, which runs to roughly $27 a month on the cheapest combination or closer to $42 for the premium base plan with 4K across four simultaneous streams. Check Stan's site for the current rate before signing up.

Conference League 2026/27 Key Dates

Qualifying rounds: 9 July to 27 August 2026

League phase matchday 1: 15 October 2026

Matchday 2: 22 October 2026

Matchday 3: 5 November 2026

Matchday 4: 26 November 2026

Matchday 5: 10 December 2026

Matchday 6: 17 December 2026

Knockout phase play-offs: 18 and 25 February 2027

Round of 16: 11 and 18 March 2027

Quarter-finals: 8 and 15 April 2027

Semi-finals: 29 April and 6 May 2027

Final: Wednesday 2 June 2027, Beşiktaş Park, Istanbul

How the 2026/27 Format Works

The Conference League runs the same Swiss-system structure as its two bigger siblings, just with a wider net underneath it. All 36 league phase teams reach the competition through an extensive qualifying funnel tied to domestic league placing, cup wins and clubs eliminated from Europa League qualifying, which is why the entry list stretches across far more of UEFA's smaller associations than the Champions League ever does.

Each side plays eight matches against eight different opponents in the single table. The top eight go straight to the round of 16, 9th to 24th contest a two-legged play-off, and the bottom 12 are out.

Crystal Palace's move up to the Europa League as champions means this season starts without a defending team, which tends to open the outright market up more than usual.

Kick-off Times in Australia

Conference League matchdays play out on Thursday nights in Europe alongside the Europa League, so Australian viewers who also bet on the Europa League face the same early Friday morning pattern across both competitions.

The knockout rounds narrow to a single Thursday kick-off, and daylight saving shifts the exact conversion from October onwards. Stan Sport's fixture list is the best source for the confirmed time on any given week rather than working it out from the European kick-off alone.

How to Stream the Conference League on Sportsbet

Sportsbet live streams a wide range of sport through its app and website, including Conference League fixtures, so you can watch and bet from the same screen.

Log in or create an account, then make sure you're carrying a positive balance or have placed a bet in the last 24 hours, since that's the trigger that unlocks live streaming. From there, head into the soccer section, find your match and tap the Watch Live icon on the betting page.

Coverage can vary week to week, so it's worth checking the specific fixture in the app before kick-off.

Conference League Betting Markets

This is the competition where the gap between clubs is widest, which shows up directly in the markets.

Outright winner odds move around more than in the Champions League or Europa League, because the field includes genuine part-time and small-budget sides alongside clubs like Chelsea or West Ham in seasons they've entered.

Match result, both teams to score, total goals and correct score run on every fixture as usual, and our UEFA Conference League betting guide walks through how to approach each of them. Handicap and Asian handicap lines are worth a look given how often the Conference League throws up genuine mismatches on paper.

For the latest Conference League odds and markets, check out our dedicated odds page here at Sportsbet.

Upsets are a bigger part of this competition's identity than the other two, so form and squad depth heading into a two-legged play-off tie deserve more weight than reputation alone.

Conference League in Australia FAQ

Is the Conference League free to watch in Australia?

Only the final. Every other match is exclusive to Stan Sport.

What do I need to watch the Conference League on Stan?

A base Stan subscription plus the Stan Sport add-on, the same package that covers the Champions League, Europa League and Super Cup.

When does the 2026/27 Conference League start?

The league phase kicks off on 15 October 2026. The final is on 2 June 2027 at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul.

Are Crystal Palace defending the title?

No. They won the Conference League last season and moved up to the Europa League as a result, so the 2026/27 field starts without a returning champion.