For those following English football, it should come as no surprise that the FA Cup third round on January 7 is a pretty big deal. But a small dilemma, at least for U.S. viewers, is figuring out how to watch FA Cup soccer. Where do you tune in, and what network should you be using? Outside of the U.K. and local broadcasts, it’s not always apparent which network has the rights. Don’t worry, we have all the details for you right here, including how you can watch if you’re traveling abroad, outside the U.S..
How to watch the FA Cup in the U.S.
Soccer fans can watch the FA Cup in the U.S. exclusively on ESPN+. Meanwhile, Canadian viewers in the north can tune in to Sportsnet NOW. ESPN+ if you didn’t already know, is the sports network’s live streaming platform, available on a variety of devices, including smart TVs, streaming players, and mobile. ESPN+ by itself is $11 per month, or you can grab the Disney bundle, which includes Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu, . That bundle is one of the best deals in the streaming world right now, especially considering you get access to three excellent services and their extensive libraries of digital on-demand content. If you’re planning to watch, you’ll definitely want to sign up for an account and get the app installed on your devices before the matches kick off so you don’t miss out on the action.
How to watch the FA Cup while traveling abroad
Outside of tuning in to local services from where you are, and it certainly depends on what country you’re visiting, there is a way to tune in to the FC Cup round three matches while traveling abroad. Normally, streaming services like ESPN+ geo-restrict access, which means they lock you out from streaming based on your IP address. If you’re in a different country, you won’t be able to stream anything, no matter what you’ve paid for the service, which is unfortunate. However, you can use something called a VPN or virtual private network to bypass those restrictions.
We highly recommend NordVPN, one of the best ways to mask your IP, protect your privacy and anonymity while browsing, and also to bypass region-locks. The way it works is pretty simple. When you connect through the VPN, it acts as a minor shield, assigning you a remote IP from the country you want to connect to, like the United States. Then, no matter where you are, it looks like you’re browsing from your home country. Right now, NordVPN is offering some great deals, like 65% off select plans plus three months extra tacked on to the end. So, for example, the Plus tier is normally $286 for the first two years, but discounted to just $108, or $4 per month. You get those three extra months added to the end, too, so really that price is for over two years. There are other plans available, as well. Much like your streaming service, you’ll want to sign up before the FC Cup games kick off so you don’t miss anything.
