Why You Can Trust CNET Liverpool vs. Man United: Start time, how to watch online in the US, UK and Australia
The two biggest teams in the Premier League are facing off this weekend. Here's everything you need to know.
The Liverpool versus Manchester United fixture is almost here and is always one of the most compelling and passionately contested soccer matches on the calendar -- but given how the 2020-21 English Premier League is going so far, this match is even more important.
Right now Man United sit at the top of the league, but in second place? Yep, you guessed it: Liverpool. For the first time in a long time the Liverpool-Man United match is a top-of-the-table clash.
Who's the favorite? At this point it's anyone's match. Liverpool have been up and down this season. They are still favorites to win the league, but injuries to key defenders like Virgil van Dijk have left them vulnerable at the back. They're still an incredible attacking force though, with players like Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino hitting peak form.
Mohamed Salah's Liverpool are top of the league... for now.
But Man United are on fire right now, particularly Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, who literally can't stop scoring right now. This match is going to be a humdinger.
Here's everything you need to know...
Start time
The timing of this match is extremely friendly toward a US audience. Let's go through some time zones.
US
The match kicks off at 8:30 a.m PT (11:30 a.m ET). on Sunday, Jan. 17.
UK
The match kicks off at 4:30 p.m. GMT on Sunday, Jan. 17.
Australia
The match kicks off at 3:30 a.m AEDT. on Monday, Jan. 18.
How to watch the Premier League in the US
The good news: It's relatively easy to watch the Premier League in the US and you have heaps of options to choose from. We've got an entire post dedicated to watching soccer in the US, but here are the Cliffs Notes.
Premier League games are shown on NBC , NBCSN or USA Network. If you have good reception you can watch Premier League games on NBC for free. Just attach an affordable (under $30) indoor antenna to nearly any TV and you should be good to go.
You can also stream the matches on NBCSports.com or the NBC Sports app. All of the major live TV streaming services include NBC, NBCSN and USA Network, and you can use a live TV streaming subscription to log in to NBC Sports livestreams online.
Here are some other options.
Peacock offers three tiers: a limited free plan and two Premium plans. The ad-supported Premium plan costs $5 a month, and the ad-free Premium plan costs $10 a month. You need one of the Premium plans to watch Premier League games live and full-game replays, though highlights are available on the free tier. Read our Peacock review.
Sling TV's $30-a-month Blue plan includes NBC, NBCSN and USA Network. Enter your address here to see which local channels are available where you live. Read our Sling TV review.
Hulu with Live TV costs $55 a month (the price increases to $65 this week) and includes NBC, NBCSN and USA Network. Click the "View channels in your area" link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code. Read our Hulu with Live TV review.
AT&T TV Now's basic, $55-a-month Plus package includes NBC, NBCSN and USA Network. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live. Read our AT&T TV Now review.
How to watch the Premier League in Australia
This is fairly straightforward -- sign up for Optus Sport.
As someone living in Australia, Optus Sport grabbing the rights to the Premier League has been a godsend. No longer do soccer fans have to sign up for an overpriced Foxtel subscription, packed with channels you have no interest in. Now you just pay a monthly fee and have access to practically every Premier League match. You also get Champions League matches as well.
It's essentially Netflix for soccer and it's awesome. It starts at AU$15 per month.
How to watch the Premier League in the UK
This one's a little more complex. Considering how lucrative the Premier League is in the UK, the TV rights have been split between BT Sport and Sky Sports.
You can find out how to watch every single game through BT Sport here.
You can find out which games are available on Sky Sports here.