A place in the FA Cup final is in sight for both of these English Premier League teams as Crystal Palace take on Aston Villa at Wembley on Saturday in this semifinal.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to watch the game as it happens, wherever you are in the world, and how to use a VPN if they’re unavailable where you are.
Crystal Palace will be hoping to move closer to ending its long wait for silverware, having never won a major trophy in their 164-year history — one of the longest such runs in English football.
Seven-time FA Cup winner Aston Villa is making its first semifinal appearance in a decade. Manager Unai Emery will be determined to prevent a strong season from fading after a recent Champions League exit at the hands of PSG and last weekend’s Premier League loss to Manchester City. That result has put Villa’s European qualification hopes in jeopardy.
Crystal Palace take on Aston Villain this FA Cup semifinal match at Wembley Stadium in northwest London on Saturday, April 26. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. BST local time in the UK, which is 12:30 p.m. ET or 9:30 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 2:30 a.m. AEST in Australia early on Sunday morning.
How to watch the Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa game online from anywhere using a VPN
If you’re traveling abroad and want to watch live FA Cup soccer action while away from home, a VPN can help enhance your privacy and security when streaming. It encrypts your traffic and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your speeds, and can also be 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.
Livestream the Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa game in the US
This match is streaming exclusively live in the US on ESPN Plus. Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Can I livestream the Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa game in the UK?
The great news for footy fans in the UK is that free-to-air broadcasters the BBC and ITV are sharing live duties for this season’s FA Cup, with this game being shown on BBC One. That means the game will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Coverage begins at 4:45 p.m. BST ahead of the 5:30 p.m. kickoff.
Livestream Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa in Canada
Canadian soccer fans looking to watch this FA Cup fixture can watch all the action live via Sportsnet.
Livestream the Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa game in Australia
Football fans down under can watch FA Cup matches live on streaming service Optus Sport.
Quick tips for streaming the FA Cup using a VPN
- 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.