How to watch Crystal Palace vs. Man City
The great news for footy fans in the UK is that free-to-air broadcasters BBC and ITV are sharing live duties for this season’s FA Cup final. The game will be shown on both BBC One and ITV1 and will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer and ITVX for free. These services are geo-restricted to the UK, but a service such as ExpressVPN can let you access both free streaming platforms.
Will Man City add another piece of silverware to its overflowing cabinet, or will Crystal Palace claim its first-ever major domestic trophy? We’ll find out on Saturday as these two English Premier League sides battle it out at Wembley in the 2025 FA Cup final.
This year’s edition of football’s oldest cup competition is set for a memorable finale. Oliver Glasner’s talented and in-form Eagles are aiming to pull off an upset against a Manchester City team desperate to salvage a disappointing season, at least by coach Pep Guardiola’s high standards.
Below, we’ll outline how to use a VPN to watch the game live and for free, wherever you are in the world.
Palace booked its place in today’s showdown with an impressive 3-0 humbling of Aston Villa, while City ensured it would be making its third successive appearance in an FA Cup final by seeing off the challenge of Nottingham Forest with a 2-0 win.
When is the 2025 FA Cup final?
Manchester City take on Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium in northwest London on Saturday, May 17. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. BST local time in the UK, which is 11:30 a.m. ET or 8:30 a.m. PT in the US and Canada and 1:30 a.m. AEST in Australia early Sunday morning.
Where to livestream the FA Cup final
The game will be shown on BBC One and ITV1 and will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer and ITVX. Coverage begins on ITV1 at 3 p.m. BST, while BBC One’s broadcast starts at 3:30 p.m. BST, which is slightly later.
How to watch the 2025 FA Cup final online for free from anywhere using a VPN
Both ITVX and BBC iPlayer are geo-restricted to the UK, but if you’re abroad and want to watch their live coverage of the FA Cup final, a VPN can let you access both free streaming platforms.
As well as helping enhance your privacy and security when streaming, a VPN can mask your real IP address and, in turn, your digital location, allowing you to connect to a secure server in the UK and access both BBC iPlayer and ITVX from anywhere in the world.
To watch the game for free, follow these steps:
- Sign up for a VPN (our current pick is streaming-friendly ExpressVPN — see below).
- Download the VPN’s app to your device of choice (the best services have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux and more).
- Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK.
- Visit either BBC iPlayer or ITVX (both also have their own dedicated apps).
- Hit play on the livestream for Man City versus Crystal Palace and watch the match for free from anywhere in the world.
A VPN can also encrypt your traffic and prevent your internet service provider from throttling your speeds. It is also helpful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, adding an extra layer of protection for your devices and logins.
VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US, UK and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security. However, some streaming services may have policies restricting VPN usage to access region-specific content. If you’re considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform’s terms of service to ensure compliance.
If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider’s installation instructions, ensuring you’re connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verifying if your streaming subscription allows VPN usage is crucial.
Having problems streaming the FA Cup final using a VPN? Here are some troubleshooting tips
- With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming FA Cup matches may vary.
- If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the «search for city or country» option.
- If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.