Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games, the competition was delayed before beginning on 24 October 2020 and ending on 13 December 2020.

[3][4] Laois returned to the Leinster Championship for the first time since 2017, replacing Carlow who were relegated in 2019.

[5][6] Tipperary entered the championship as the defending champions and were attempting to retain the title for the first time since 1965.

On 13 December 2020, Limerick won the championship after a 0-30 to 0-19 win over Waterford in the All-Ireland final at Croke Park.

At the GAA Congress on 29 February 2019 it was decided to expand the Leinster Hurling Championship from five to six teams, beginning in 2021.

This meant there would be no relegation from the Leinster Hurling Championship in 2020 and that the winners of the Joe McDonagh Cup would be promoted.

The draws for the Munster and Leinster Senior Hurling Championships took place live on RTÉ's Six One news on Friday 26 June.

Of the six teams who don’t reach their provincial final (three from the Leinster championship and three from the Munster championship) four are drawn, two from Leinster versus two from Munster, to play in round one of the qualifiers, subject to the requirement that the two beaten provincial quarter-finalists play in round one.

The winners of round two compete in the two All-Ireland quarter-finals against the beaten Leinster and Munster finalists.

RTÉ, the national broadcaster in Ireland provided the majority of the live television coverage of the hurling championship in the fourth year of a five-year deal running from 2017 until 2021.

The panel consisting of Donal Óg Cusack, Jackie Tyrell, Ursula Jacob, and Shane Dowling picked Gearóid Hegarty as the Sunday game player of the year.