Why You Can Trust CNET Chelsea vs. Sheffield United Livestream: How to Watch English Premier League Soccer From Anywhere
Mauricio Pochettino's Blues look to pull themselves out of the bottom half of the table as they face the rock bottom Blades.
It's a game under-pressure Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino can't afford to lose as his side host bottom club Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in the English Premier League.
Despite a staggering transfer outlay of over $1 billion, the west Londoners have lost seven of their 16 EPL fixtures so far this term, making it their worst start to a league campaign since the 1978/79 season.
Despite slipping to 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield -- their 12th defeat so far this season -- Sheffield United showed some signs of improvement last weekend under newly returned boss Chris Wilder, and will be relishing playing a game where the pressure will be firmly placed on their opponents.
Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services for watching all of the action live wherever you are in the world.
Sheffield United's most recent win over Chelsea came in a 3-0 EPL victory at Bramall Lane in July 2020, during Chris Wilder's first spell in charge of the Blades.
Chelsea vs. Sheffield United: When and where?
Chelsea host Sheffield United on Saturday, Dec. 16, at Stamford Bridge in west London. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. GMT (10 a.m. ET, 7 a.m. PT in the US and Canada; and 2 a.m. AEDT on Sunday, Dec. 17, in Australia).
How to watch the Chelsea vs. Sheffield United game online from anywhere using a VPN
If you're unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch -- and that's where a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it's a great idea if you want an extra layer of privacy for your devices and log-ins while you're traveling and connecting to Wi-Fi networks.
With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier sticks you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it thinks is circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free -- the equivalent of $6.67 per month -- if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Livestream Chelsea vs. Sheffield United in the US
Saturday's Chelsea-Sheffield United match is streaming on Peacock. You'll need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus account to catch the game live.
NBC's streaming service, Peacock, offers access to all the matches of this season's Premier League that aren't shown on cable. You'll need to have a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus account to stream games live, which costs $6 a month or $60 per year.
Can I livestream the Chelsea vs. Sheffield United game in the UK?
No broadcaster has the rights to show this game live in the UK, due to the traditional Saturday 3 p.m. kick-off blackout, which prohibits matches being shown in the region at that time in order to protect attendances throughout the English football pyramid.
That also means that if you're in the UK traveling for pleasure or for work, you're unlikely to be able to watch the game like you normally would at home, thanks to geo-blocking.
There is one option to get around this, however. By using a VPN, as explained above, you can set your location to a country where the match is being broadcast and go from there.
Livestream the Chelsea vs. Sheffield United game in Canada
If you want to stream Chelsea vs. Sheffield United live in Canada, you'll need to subscribe to Fubo Canada. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.
Fubo is the go-to destination for Canadians looking to watch the Premier League this season with exclusive streaming rights to every game. It costs CA$25 per month, though you can save some cash by paying quarterly or annually.
Livestream the Chelsea vs. Sheffield United game in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every Premier League game live in Australia this season.
With exclusive rights to screen every EPL match live this season, as well as German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga games, streaming service Optus Sport is a particularly big draw for Aussie soccer fans.
If you're already an Optus network customer, you can bag Optus Sport for a reduced price, with discounts bringing the price down to as low as AU$7 per month. If you're not, a standalone monthly subscription to the service starts at AU$25.
Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN
- With four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming EPL 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 including 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.