Category Archives: Handball Web Streaming

Handball Web Streaming this Week (1-3 Dec 2020)

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Team USA’s Rene Ingram plays for IFK Kristianstad.

The 2020 EHF Women’s Handball European Championships start Thursday and I’ll have my usual preview with streaming links and odds posted soon.  But, there’s still plenty of men’s club handball matches to watch this week as well.  Here’s a summary of the next 3 days.

American Athletes in Action

  • EHF European League:  IFK Kristianstad (-3.5) vs Tatran Presov  (Tuesday, 1845 CET): Link
    • Goalkeeper, Rene Ingram, plays for Kristianstad.  Ingram subbed in for a penalty shot last week.  I say we give him a half vs Tatran Presov to see what he can do.
  • EHF European League:  Fivers vs Leon (-2.5) (Tuesday, 2045 CET): Link
    • Circle Runner, Drew Donlin, plays for Leon.
    • Leon will look to stay unbeaten vs Austrian side, Fivers.  Side note:  Several players on the Fivers side will likely be part of the Austrian national team side that will the U.S. on 14 January at the World Championship
  • Liga Asobal: Puerto Sagunto vs Leon (-4.5) (Thursday, 2010): Video Link
    • A busy week for Leon continues.  On Saturday they take on Barcelona.
  • French ProLigue: Dijon (-4.5) vs Angers (Thursday, 2030) Video Link
    • Abou Fofana plays for Angers.  A draw this past weekend got Angers out of last place.  They need more points to edge their way out of the relegations zone

Other Matches this Week

  • EHF European League LINK
    • In addition to the 2 matches above featuring U.S. players there are 7 other matches on Tuesday at either 1845 or 2045 CET.
  • EHF Champions League LINK

Six matches on tap this week.  Veszprem vs Kiel is the big match on Wednesday.  If Kiel is going to make a run for a round of 16 bye they need to start that run with a victory here.  On Thursday Paris S-G is pretty much in the same situation.  They are a disappointing 3-0-3 in Group Play and a victory vs Group leaders Kielce could jump start a return to the top.  No spoiler preview:  Link

    • Aalborg vs Barcelona (-7.5) Brest (Wednesday, 1845 CET)
    • Veszprem (-1.5) vs Kiel (Wednesday, 1845 CET)
    • Meshkov Brest (-3.5) vs Elverum ( (Thursday, 1845 CET)
    • Paris S-G (-1.5)  vs Kielce (Thursday, 1845 CET) <<English Commentary>>
    • Flensburg (-1.5) vs Szeged (Thursday, 1845 CET)
    • Zaporozhye (-2.5)  vs Celje (Thursday, 1845 CET)
  • Liga Asobal
    • Liga Asobal: Puerto Sagunto vs Leon (-4.5) (Thursday, 2010): Video Link
  • Lidl Starligue
    • Dunkerque vs Aix (Wednesday, 2015 CET) Link
    • Cesson (-1.5) vs Creteil (Thursday, 1900 CET) Link

Handball Web Streaming this Weekend (27-29 Nov 2020)

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Abou Fofana and Angers take on Billere Friday at 20:00 CET / 14:00 US ET. Watch the match live on Angers Facebook page.

Plenty of handball viewing options this weekend, including some Friday mid-day options for Americans with a long Thanksgiving weekend.  Odds courtesy of Bet MGM.

American Athletes in Action

  • France Pro Ligue:  Angers (-0.5) vs Nice vs Billère  (Friday, 2000 CET): Link (What? Bet MGM is posting 2nd Div French betting lines? They sure are)
    • Left back, Abou Fofana plays for Angers.  Currently in last place, Angers could really use a win vs 11th place Billere.
  • Germany HBL 2:  Dormagen (-3.5) vs Groswallstadt (Saturday, 1930 CET): Link (VPN required)
    • Ian and Patrick Hueter play for Dormagen.  9th place Dormagen will try and make it 3 wins in a row against 14th place Grosswallstadt

Other Matches this Weekend

  • EHF European Competitions:  ehfTV
    • It’s the calm before the storm this weekend as there are no EHF Women’s Champions League matches this weekend.  Instead Women’s National Teams are getting ready for the Women’s European Championships which will start this Thursday, 3 December.  However, there are plenty of on demand matches from this past week’s Men’s Champions League.  Options include Barca v Kiel; Paris v Porto; and Veszprem v Aalborg
  • LIDL Starligue:  LNH TV
      • Limoges (-2.5) vs Ivry (Friday, 2000 CET) Video Link
    • Nimes (-5.5) vs Tremblay (Saturday, 1800 CET) Video Link
    • Creteil vs Paris (-9.5) (Sunday, 1530 CET) Video Link
  • Liga ASOBAL:  LaLigaSportsTV 
    • Cuenca (-2.5) vs Valladolid (Friday, 2000 CET) Video Link
    • Granollers vs Barcelona (-12.5) (Saturday, 1200 CET) Video Link
    • Aranda vs Benidorm (-2.5) (Saturday, 1800 CET) Video Link
    • Angel Ximinez vs Irun (-3.5) (Saturday, 1930 CET) Video Link
  • HBL
    • Leipzig vs Magdeburg (-.1,5) (Sunday, 1500 CET) Video Link (VPN likely required)

Handball Web Streaming This Week (24-26 Nov 2020)

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Toulouse hosts Leon in a key EHF European League match on Tuesday

Plenty of handball matches to watch the next 3 days.  What’s also fun to think about:  The switch to midweek means that American fans will be able to start a new Thanksgiving tradition on Thursday:  Dual screen Champions League Handball/NFL viewing after their turkey dinner.

American Athletes in Action

  • EHF European League:  Toulouse (-1.5) vs Leon (Tuesday, 2045 CET): Link
    • Circle Runner, Drew Donlin, plays for Leon.
    • Leon is on a 3 game winning streak with a victory over Metalaurg and 2 wins in Asoobal play, but Toulouse will present a tough road test.
  • EHF European League:  IFK Kristianstad vs Sporting Portugal (-1.5)  (Tuesday, 2045 CET): Link
    • Goalkeeper, Rene Ingram, plays for Kristianstad.  Ingram is Kristianstad’s 3rd keeper and is on the roster due to an injury to their top keeper.

Other Matches this Week

  • EHF European League LINK
    • In addition to the 2 matches above featuring U.S. players there are 7 other matches on Tuesday at either 1845 or 2045 CET.
  • EHF Champions League LINK

Were at the halfway point of the Champions League and that means we get return legs from last week’s matches.  This is generally interesting in that we get to see how coaches make adjustments in the intervening weeks to fix problems or pile on with what worked last week.  I’ll be watching to see if Flensburg can rebound from their surprise draw with Brest and whether Barca will have no problems with Kiel again.   No spoiler preview:  Link

    • Veszprem (-6.5) vs Aalborg  Brest (Wednesday, 1845 CET)
    • Kielce (-5.5) vs Vardar (Wednesday, 2045 CET) <<English Commentary>>
    • Celje vs Nantes (-2.5) (Wednesday, 2045 CET)
    • Paris S-G (-5.5) vs FC Porto (Thursday, 1845 CET)
    • Szeged (-4.5) vs Elverum (Thursday, 1845 CET)
    • Barcelona (-3.5) vs Kiel (Thursday, 2045 CET)
  • Liga Asobal
    • Valladolid vs Irun (-2.5) (Wednesday, 2000 CET) Link
    • Aranda vs Angel Ximenez (-2.5) (Thursday, 1830 CET) Link
    • Nava vs Huesca (-1.5) (Thursday, 2000 CET) Link
  • Lidl Starligue
    • St-Raphael vs Aix (Wednesday, 2030 CET) Link

Handball Web Streaming this Weekend (20-22 November 2020)

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Plenty of handball viewing options this weekend.  Odds courtesy of Bet MGM.

American Athletes in Action

  • French Pro Ligue:  Nice vs Angers (Saturday, 2030 CET): Link 
    • Left back, Abou Fofana plays for Angers.  Angers lost to Strasbourg on Tuesday and really could use a win vs Nice which is the only club below them in the standings.  The winner of this match will move out of the relegation zone
  • Liga Asobal:  Viveros Herol BM. Nava vs Leon (-3.5) (Sunday, 2000 CET): Link
    • Circle Runner, Drew Donlin, plays for Leon and has been getting some extended playing time lately on defense.  Leon had a huge victory on Thursday over previously unbeaten Irun and will look to continue their winning streak.

Other Matches this Weekend

  • EHF European Competitions:  ehfTV
    • There’s a jampacked schedule of 25 matches on ehfTV this weekend.  2 on Friday, 12 on Saturday and 11 on Sunday.  Most of the matches are lower level European League and European Cup fixtures, with the exception being 5 Women’s Champions League matches.
  • LIDL Starligue:  LNH TV
    • Toulouse (-2.5) vs Creteil (Friday, 2000 CET) Video Link
    • Tremblay vs Montpellier (-3.5) (Saturday, 1530) Video Link
    • Ivry vs Nimes (-3.5) (Saturday, 1800 CET) Video Link
    • Cesson vs Aix (-1.5) (Sunday, 1730 CET) Video Link
  • Liga ASOBAL:  LaLigaSportsTV 
    • Vallodolid (-1.5) vs Angel Ximinez (Saturday, 1700 CET) Video Link
    • Huesca(-3.5) vs Puerto Sagunto (Saturday, 1830 CET) Video Link
    • Barcelona (-13.5) vs Cuenca (Saturday, 1930 CET) Video Link
    • Irun (-8.5) vs Aranda (Sunday, 1200 CET) Video Link
    • Viveros Herol BM. Nava vs Leon (-3.5) (Sunday, 2000 CET) Video Link

Handball Web Streaming this Week (17-19 Nov 2020)

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Abou Fofana and Angers take on Strasbourg today at 2000 (CET) / 1400 (US ET) Watch live on the Angers Facebook page

While the Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in several matches getting postponed this week, for the most part the European Leagues are marching on with a near full slate of matches.  And, this has got to be a first:  3 Americans with 3 different club will be playing simultaneously later today.

American Athletes in Action

  • French Pro Ligue:  Angers vs Strasbourg (Tuesday, 2000 CET): Link
    • Left back, Abou Fofana plays for Angers.  Both Angers and Strasbourg are near the bottom of the table and could use a win. This video will be on Facebook and is the first opportunity we have this season to see Abou Fofana with his new club
  • EHF European League:  Leon (-5.5) vs Metalurg (Tuesday, 2045 CET): Link
    • Circle Runner, Drew Donlin, plays for Leon.
    • Leon lost to Logrono on Saturday and will look to bounce back vs Metalurg.  It will be interesting to see how ready Metalurg after their 40 hour bus drive from North Macedonia to Spain. 
  • EHF European League:  USAM Nimes (-3.5) vs IFK Kristianstad (Tuesday, 2045 CET): Link
    • Goalkeeper, Rene Ingram, plays for Kristianstad.  Ingram is Kristianstad’s 3rd keeper and is on the roster due to an injury to their top keeper.
  • HBL 2:  TSV Bayer Dormagen vs. HSG Konstanz (Wednesday, 1930 CET): Link (may require VPN)
    • Hosts, Dormagen (Ian and Patrick Hueter) should be solid favorites over 17th place Konstanz

Other Matches this Week

  • EHF European League
    • 10 matches on Tuesday at either 1845 or 2045 CET
    • Top Matches: Both of these matches are interesting in that they feature more well known top clubs as 3.5 goal favorites on the road
      • Nexe vs Montpellier (-3.5)  (Tuesday, 1845 CET)
      • GOG vs Rhein-Neckar (-3.5) (Tuesday, 1845 CET)
  • EHF Champions League
    • Top Matches:  It will really be very interesting to see how struggling Paris (only 1 win) does against Porto.  Kiel vs Barca is the other standout match.  No spoiler preview:  Link
    • Aalborg vs Veszprem (-4.5) (Wednesday, 1845 CET)
    • Flensburg (-4.5) vs Meskov Brest (Wednesday, 1845 CET)
    • FC Porto vs Paris S-G (-2.5) (Wednesday, 1845 CET)
    • Zagreb vs HC Motor (-1.5) (Wednesday, 2045 CET)
    • Vardar vs Kielce(-2.5) (Thursday, 1845 CET)
    • Kiel vs Barca (-1.5) (Thursday, 1845 CET) <<English Commentary>>

Handball Web Streaming Options this Weekend (14-15 Nov 2020)

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Rhein-Neckar takes on Lemgo in a Bundesliga Clash

The pandemic appears to be ramping up again, so you might want to catch some handball action online… while you still can.  Thankfully, there are a plethora of options this weekend.  Here’s some links to online streams with the goals handicap betting odds courtesy of Bet MGM.

EHF Women’s Champions League: Round 8 includes 3 matches on Saturday and 3 on Sunday.

  • Where to watch:  Link
  • Preview: Link (no spoilers)
  • CSM Bucuresti (-6.5) vs RK Krim Mercator, Saturday, 16:00 CET
  • HC Podravka Vegeta vs Brest (-4.5), Saturday, 16:00 CET
  • Buducnost (-6.5) vs SCM Ramnicu Valcea, Saturday, 18:00 CET
  • Bietigheim vs FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (-1.5), Sunday, 14:00 CET
  • Team Esbjerg vs Rostov-Don (-1.5), Sunday, 14:00 CET
  • Odense (-1.5) vs CSKA, Sunday, 16:00 CET

German Bundesliga (HBL and HBL 2):

  • Rhein-Neckar (-5.5) vs TVB Lemgo (Saturday, 1800 CET): Link (may require VPN)
  • Hüttenberg (pick em) vs. TSV Bayer Dormagen (Saturday, 1930 CET): Link (may require VPN)
    • (Note: Of interest to USA fans as Dormagen features 2 Americans: Ian and Patrick Hueter)

French LIDL Star Ligue

  • Montpellier (-5.5) vs Cesson-Rennes (Saturday, 1700 CET): Link
  • Tremblay vs Saint-Raphael (-1.5) (Sunday, 1600 CET): Link
  • Creteil (-1.5) vs Istres (Sunday, 1600 CET): Link

Spanish Liga Asobal

  • Aranda vs Vallodolid (-3.5) (Saturday, 1700 CET): Link
  • Cangas vs Huesca (-2.5) (Saturday, 1900 CET): Link
  • Cuenca (-3.5) vs Guadalajra (Saturday, 2100 CET): Link

Austria vs Estonia: A Glimpse of What a USA vs Austria Match Might Look Like

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The U.S. may have an outsider’s chance against Austria at the World Championships. Check out how well another outsider, Estonia, fares against them today.

Austria hosts Estonia today at 8:25 PM (CET) / 2:25 PM (US ET) in an European Championship Qualification match. The match can be seen on ehfTV. (Requires free registration). The oddsmakers have Austria as a 6.5 goal favorite. (Bet MGM)


The U.S. has drawn France, Norway and Austria and without a doubt that’s some stiff competition. It’s pretty hard to imagine the U.S. having any chance whatsoever vs France and Norway, but one can at least speculate on the possibility of the U.S. putting up a decent fight vs Austria.

Austria’s Roster

Austria is a 2nd tier European handball nation that sometimes challenges 1st tier European nations. Case in point: hard fought matches vs Croatia and Spain on home soil this past January at the European Championships. And, at the other end, they are a nation that has slipped up against lesser opponents. Case in point: A 32-24 loss to Chile at the 2019 World Championships.

Further, with their best player, Nikola Bilyk, out due to injury, the team participating in Egypt will be a notch down in quality from the side that participated in the most recent tournaments. Their roster features a handful of players playing in Germany, most notably Robert Weber, and other countries, but the bulk of their team plays in Austria. The Austrian League is a solid competition, but it’s not as strong as the leagues in other nations.

Estonia: A European Outsider

Austria’s opponent, Estonia, is a European outsider that’s never had any real success in handball. They’ve never qualified for the World Championships or European Championships and I don’t think they’ve ever come close. Their roster is mostly composed of athletes playing in Estonia or for 2nd tier foreign pro teams in other countries. The notable exception is Mat Patrail who currently plays for Rhein-Necker in the German Bundesliga.

An Estonia – USA Comparison

While Estonia has had no real success against Europe’s best teams, they’ve shown their better than Europe’s minnows. To get to this stage of qualification they easily beat Luxembourg 69-53 on aggregate. This same Luxembourg team easily defeated Great Britain, Bulgaria and Ireland and, those 3 nations were all at the 2019 Emerging Nations Championship which the U.S. also participated in. The U.S. beat Ireland 37-32 and lost to Bulgaria, 38-35, but the U.S. was missing some key players from their roster. I’m pretty certain a full strength U.S. roster would have won those matches and probably convincingly.

If one compares where the top U.S. players are currently playing club handball to Estonia you’ll see some similarities in terms of the level of play. The U.S. has the Hueter brothers (Ian and Patrick) playing in the German 2nd Division, Abou Fofana playing in the French 2nd Division and Drew Donlin playing a supporting role for Leon in the Spanish Liga Asobal. And, then several players playing in lower divisions throughout Europe, including 3 athletes (Ty Reed, Rene Ingram and Nico Robinson) that are also getting some practice time with Champions League Clubs.

Overall, based on these common foe comparisons and club assignments I would say that the current U.S. squad probably is somewhere between Estonia and Luxembourg in quality. Of course, that’s just a paper assessment based on limited information. It will be interesting to see how Estonia fares today and how the U.S. can do in January.

Handball Web Streaming: No Thursday Night NFL?: ehfTV has you Covered with the EHF Champions League Match of the Week

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Antonio AREIA RODRIGUES and FC Porto take on Szeged in the Match of the Week.

There’s no Thursday NFL game this week so why not take the opportunity to watch some Champions League handball later today. There are 3 matches on tap starting at 8:45 PM (CET) / 2:45 PM (US ET).

Live Video Link (Free Registration);

On Demand Full Match Video Page: Links for individual matches will also be added below when they are made available.

All 3 matches should be interesting, but the Match of the Week (MOTW) between Porto and Szeged will include English language commentary so you might want to start there.

The matches will be live early afternoon in the U.S., but I will post links to the full match video when they are available so hopefully you’ll be able to watch later tonight without knowing the score.

And, if you live in a state where it’s legal here are the odds for today’s contests courtesy of Bet MGM.

Team Handball Betting Guide: Where and How to Bet in the U.S.

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The Green States: Where you can Legally Bet on Handball in the USA

Team Handball is a great sport to watch and it goes practically without saying that it’s also a great sport to bet on. Here’s a guide for would be handball bettors in the U.S.

Where You Can Legally Bet on Handball in the U.S

The map above (updated on 9 Oct 2020) depicts the current legal status and availability of handball betting in the U.S. Currently, there are 10 states (depicted in green) where betting is 1) legal and 2) handball betting lines are readily available. Those 10 states are Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Depicted in Yellow are several states where sports betting is legal, but for a variety of reasons handball betting is not yet available. The most common reason is that several states have not yet authorized mobile/online betting and require all sports bets to be made in actual casinos where the focus is typically the major sports. Perhaps handball lines are available for “off the board” bettors, but I doubt it. The good news is that many states, including New York, seem likely to add mobile betting in the near future.

Depicted in White are several states that have pending legislation to authorize sports betting. And, finally in Red are a number of states where there is either no legislation in the works or legislation to legalize sports betting failed to get passed. This website keeps a tally as to the current status of legalization: Link

US Mobile/Online Sports Books which Post Handball Odds

The following mobile/online sportsbooks currently post handball odds:

And, then there are a number of online sportsbooks which apparently aren’t posting handball lines yet. Those US sportsbooks include the following: Fan Duel, Fox Bet, Points Bet, Sportsbetting.com, William Hill, SBK, Barstool and the Score.

Which Sportsbooks are Available in Each State

It’s the wild west early days for mobile sports betting in the U.S. and accordingly it’s a real hodge podge as to which sites are authorized to operate in each state. Here’s a current list, but be forewarned it’s constantly changing.

  • Colorado: Bet MGM, Bet Rivers, DraftKings
  • Illinois: Bet Rivers
  • Indiana: Bet MGM, Bet Rivers, DraftKings, Unibet
  • Iowa: DraftKings
  • Nevada: Bet MGM
  • New Hampshire: DraftKings
  • New Jersey: Bet MGM, Bet Rivers, DraftKings, Unibet, Bet 365, 888 Sports
  • Oregon: Oregon Lottery
  • Pennsylvania: Bet Rivers, DraftKings, Unibet, Parx
  • West Virginia: Bet MGM, DraftKings

Where you can Watch the Matches

There are currently several major European Professional Competitions that broadcast matches online. Those competitions include

  • The EHF Men’s Champions League: Video Link
    • Matches on Wednesday/Thursday
  • The EHF European League (2nd tier below the CL): Video Link
    • Matches on Tuesday
  • The EHF Women’s Champions League: Video Link
    • Matches on Saturday/Sunday
  • The French Pro League (LIDL Star Ligue): Video Link
  • The Spanish Pro League (Liga Asobal): Video Link

The Men’s and Women’s World Championships and the Men’s and Women’s European Championships are typically available for viewing in the U.S. Some matches can be seen on TV and some are available online. Currently, the TV rights are open and when they have been sold this page will be updated.

Handball Web Streaming: No EHF Champions League Matches this Week, but the French and Spanish Leagues have got you Covered

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LNH TV: A great new online handball web streaming option

The EHF Champions League is taking a break this week, but will be back in action next Wednesday (14 October). In the meantime there’s plenty of great handball action, courtesy of the French and Spanish leagues that can be seen online. Here’s a rundown on where and how to watch.

French League (LIDL Star Ligue)

The top level of French Handball, the LIDL Star Ligue will be playing two match days this week and thanks to their new Youtube platform, LNH TV you can catch several matches online. Unfortunately, the more interesting matches tend to be on traditional beIN Sports TV channels in France and aren’t available for viewing. This means missing out on a lot of Paris SG, Nantes and Montpellier matches. Because of this, I’m thinking of adopting a 2nd tier French team. Perhaps Dunkirk? Or maybe Istres?

Tuesday, 6 October

  • Istres – Aix, en direct à 20h Video Link
  • Cesson-Rennes – Tremblay, en direct à 20h30 Video Link
  • Chambéry – Limoges, en direct à 20h30 Video Link

Wednesday, 7 October

  • Créteil – Chartres, en direct à 20h30 Video Link
  • Ivry – Dunkerque, en direct à 20h30 Video Link
  • Nantes – Toulouse, en direct à 20h30 Video Link

Spanish League (Sacyr Liga ASOBAL)

Spain’s top league, the Liga ASOBAL will be playing a midweek match day this Tuesday and Wednesday. Three matches (below) can be seen on the La Liga Sports TV Handball Channel. This viewing option used to require VPN, but currently there is no Geoblock. The Irun vs Leon match tomorrow should be a good battle between two sides that often fight for 2nd place behind Barcelona. USA National Team player, Drew Donlin also plays for Leon so you might consider adopting them as your favorite Spanish Side.

Tuesday, 6 October

  • Valladolid vs Cangas 20:25 (CET) / 14:25 (US ET) Link

Wednesday, 7 October

  • Irun vs Leon 19:55 (CET) / 13:55 (US ET)   Link
  • Cantabria vs Logrono 21:25 (CET) / 15:25 (US ET)  Link

Betting Odds

Believe it or not, one can now bet on handball in several U.S. states. But, even if you can’t it’s interesting to see who is favored.

Here are links to the current betting lines courtesy of Bet MGM:

  • French League Odds: Link
  • Spanish League Odds: Link

The EHF Champions League is Back and with Some Important Changes

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The 2020-2021 EHF Champions League throws off this Wednesday and there are some important changes that handball fans will need to get used to.

Midweek Appointment Viewing

First and foremost, the biggest change will see all matches being played on Wednesday and Thursday. Whoa. Come Again? Champions League matches won’t take place on the weekend anymore?

Yes, that’s right. All matches will be on Wednesday and Thursday. And, further all matches will take place at two consistent throw off times. In Europe throw offs will be at either 1845 (CET) or 2045 (CET). That means these matches, depending on your time zone, will take place late morning to mid afternoon in the U.S. For reference on the east coast the first matches will throw off at 12:45 PM (US ET) and the second matches will throw off at 2:45 PM (US ET).

While some folks might whine at this change overall it’s a really smart move for the sport and the change in time won’t

ehfTV with a Fresh New Look… but are the Days of Free Handball Numbered?

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Things that make you go Hmm?: “Free” registration at an “ehfpayments” url.

<IMPORTANT UPDATE (3 July, 2020)>

The EHF has informed me that the answer to this question is “No. There are no plans whatsoever to change ehfTV to a paid subscription service. The misleading URL is a result of the switch to a new streaming partner which serves other entities that charge a subscription. The URL has been flagged for an update. The EHF, however, noted that handball fans will need to register and login to ehfTV to watch live matches. A small requirement, though, to watch the world’s best handball free.

<Original Article (Posted 2 July, 2020)>

ehfTV: The Best Thing Ever for Handball Fans in Far Flung Countries

Big things are a foot with the European Handball Federation (EHF). A new 10 year contract for TV and Marketing rights is now in full swing. The result: a revamped Champions League format, fresh new web pages and a new look ehfTV.

If you’re reading this article and are any kind of a handball fan you already know what ehfTV is. Why, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me as a fan of the sport here in the U.S. All of the Champions League matches, European Cup matches and even the European Championships available* for free viewing. Free! What a deal.

Are the Days of a Free Ride Coming to an End?

ehfTV is such a good deal that I’ve been wondering for years just how long it would last (Article from 2016). I mean we have to credit the EHF for being so forward thinking with this positive promotion of the sport, but they are a business and “free” generally is not a smart long term business move.

And, indeed in some countries the free ride ended a few years ago. There’s an asterisk on “available” and that’s because some matches are geo-blocked in some countries if the TV rights have been sold. That’s totally understandable. If I was a TV network owner I wouldn’t want the match being shown for free elsewhere. I would want viewers watching my channel.

But, it’s only understandable if the match can actually be seen in the country in question. In the U.S., beIN Sports (the previous rights holder) usually only aired 1 match a week on a delayed basis on Wednesday mornings. But, because they had a TV contract that match and many others were geo-blocked. This was extremely frustrating and forced handball fans like me to use VPN to watch matches on line. VPN is a less than desired workaround, but as a paying beIN Sports subscriber I had no moral qualms with using that alternative.

A New U.S. Network?

With a new 10 year contract kicking in there is now a chance for the EHF Champions League being seen on a new network. There are several possibilities that hopefully are being considered. NBC is a possibility and they’ve already shown the 2019 Men’s and Women’s on the NBC Olympic Channel. Other possibilities include Fox Sports, CBS Sports Network, TNT, 11 Sports or yes, a return to beIN Sports.

My preferred choice, however, is ESPN and specifically a combination of ESPN linear channels and ESPN+. As this earlier commentary highlight ESPN+ practically begs for a dedicated handball sub-channel: Link

Maybe Everybody Pays?

But, there’s another model that might at some point come into play. If you’ve checked out the new ehfTV platform you may have noticed that it invites you to register for free: Link

But… the url is for ehfpayments.streamamg.com. Yup. The “free” registration is at “ehfpayments”. Which is certainly a “Hmm” moment. As in, “Why would you call it that?”

Pure speculation on my part, but I can envision the EHF eventually transitioning ehfTV to a tiered service with some matches still being free, but adding a subscription to watch more matches and additional content.

Assuming such a subscription was reasonably priced this would actually be a good solution. Some matches on regular TV, some matches on free ehfTV and some matches on premium ehfTV. Actually I could get real used to that. HBL, LNH… are you listening?

2003 EHF Champions League Finals (Portland San Antonio – Montpellier): Remembering a Classic

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(19 Year old Nikola Karabatic with one of his 11 goals in the first leg of the 2003 Champions League Final… Notice anything strange about this goal?)

The Coronavirus Pandemic has been a real bummer for sports fans everywhere.  No more live sports.  To fill the gap ESPN and other sports networks have been airing classic matches.

Handball is no different and last week I sent out a Twitter post asking for recommendations of classic matches that were available online and “Sharp Action” replied with a link to the 2nd Leg of the 2003 Champions League Final between Portland San Antonio and Montpellier.  And, then later someone pointed me to a great Spanish site (blog youtube) with the 1st leg of this classic final. 

  • 1st Leg (Spanish):  Link
  • 2nd Leg (Spanish):  Link
  • 2nd Leg (French): Link

What a gift!  What a trip down memory lane!

It’s hard to believe it was 17 years ago.  It seems like yesterday that I was watching these matches in with my 1 year old daughter “surfing” the coffee table in our Paris apartment.  Now she’s getting ready to graduate from high school.  (I guess it’s TBD as to whether she walks across a stage or just gets her diploma in the mail.)

Handball wise, it’s been quite an education.  I remember that it took me awhile back in the 2002-03 season to figure out that club handball was on TV in France and what the Champions League was.  Not to mention what the hell a “two match aggregate playoff” was.  There was no Final Four at the time and therefore the semifinal and finals were decided by the aggregate score of two matches, with one being played in each locale.

I’ve only rewatched the first leg in Pamplona and I won’t give any spoilers, but here’s a few contextual tidbits that might help you appreciate the match more:

  • Arguably, these matches are a bit of a coming out party for France’s big 3:  Nikola Karabatic, Didier Dinart, and Thierry Omeyer.  Dinart is generally considered to be the best defender of all time.  Omeyer is in the conversation for best all time GK and, of course, Karabatic may well be the handball GOAT.  Certainly, few would argue against the reality that he has been the GOAT for the 21st century.
  • Karabatic had just turned 19 years old at the time these matches were played.  I will never forget a few months earlier watching Montpellier and checking his (at the time) relatively short Wikipedia page and absolutely being floored to discover that he was just 18 years old and thinking to myself, “Holy crap!  How good is the guy going to be in a few years?”
  • Laughably, Montpellier coach, Patrice Canayer didn’t start Karabatic for this match.  To Canayer’s credit, though, he doesn’t leave much after he does enter the game.
  • Take a look at this goal by Karabatic: Link  (Notice anything unusual?)
  • Watch what Karabatic does at the end of the first half and think about how that might impact the final outcome.
  • Check out how Didier Dinart clogs up the middle on defense.  There ought to be some handball analytics that measure what an impact that sort of play can be on the final outcome.  You just don’t see many goals scored while he’s in the vicinity of the action.  It’s hard to measure that, but if you watch just him (instead of the ball) for a few minutes you’ll start to appreciate what a difference he makes.
  • The Spanish club, Portland San Antonio was a major presence in the Spanish League and was actually located in Pamplona.  Yes, the club was located there even if the club name by coincidence featured the names of two NBA franchise cities, which are not cities in Spain.  Best that I can tell, San Antonio is a neighborhood in Pamplona while Portland was the name of the cement company that was their sponsor.  They were also a casualty of the Spanish financial crisis that caused the dramatic decline in the Liga Asobal.
  • Be sure to appreciate Jackson Richardson’s skills both on offense and defense, but keep in mind that he was also almost 34 years old and was actually entering the tail end of a great career.
  • Portland San Antonio’s leading scorer for the match was a Belarussian, Mikhail Yakimovich, who also won a gold medal in 1992 for the Soviet Union.  He was also 35 years old.  Back in the day, Liga Asobal teams seemed to have quite a few players from the Balkans and the former Soviet Union populating their rosters and this is one of the reasons the league was once considered the best in the world.
  • The GK for Portland San Antonio, Vladimir Rivero, was originally from Cuba and tragically died a year later due to an aneurysm.  He played 191 international matches for Cuba.
  • It’s kind of quaint to see all the lines on the floor for basketball, volleyball, etc, but that was pretty commonplace until the EHF instituted requirements for standardized floors. 

Links to more classic matches you can see online: Link