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Watch Europa Conference League Soccer: Livestream West Ham vs. AZ Alkmaar From Anywhere

The Hammers are looking to live up to their billing as tournament favorites, as they host Dutch opposition in this semifinal first leg.

Kevin Lynch Contributor
Kevin Lynch is a London-born, Dublin-based writer and journalist. The author of Steve Jobs: A Biographic Portrait, Kevin is a regular feature writer for a number of tech sites and the former Technology Editor for the Daily Mirror. He has also served as editor of GuinnessWorldRecords.com and has been a member of the judging panel for the BAFTA British Academy Video Game Awards.
Kevin Lynch
6 min read
See at Expressvpn
ExpressVPN
Best VPN for streaming
See at Paramount Plus
Paramount Plus
Watch the Europa Conference League in the US from just $5 a month
See at BT Sport
BT Sport
Watch the Europa Conference League in the UK from just £10 a month
See at DAZN
DAZN
Watch the Europa Conference League in Canada from CA$25 a month
See at Stan Sport
Stan Sport
Watch the Europa Conference League in Australia from AU$10 a month

West Ham's bid to end a difficult season with European glory continues tonight, as they welcome Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar to the London Stadium for this Europa Conference League semifinal, first leg.

While the Hammers have been in imperious unbeaten form in Europe, the east London side have struggled domestically. A statement win at home over Manchester United on Sunday, however, looks to have steered David Moyes' side clear of relegation from the English Premier League.

That morale-boosting victory should now allow the hosts to concentrate fully on this two-legged semifinal and move a step closer to ending West Ham's 43-year wait for silverware.

They face an AZ Alkmaar side that's currently fourth in the Eredivisie, the Netherlands' top division, and notoriously strong at home. It's also a hotbed of technically gifted young players, having just won the UEFA Youth League.

AZ have been prone to lapses when defending crosses in recent games, and with West Ham particularly strong from set pieces, the home side will likely look to harness the aerial threat of the formidable Michail Antonio and Tomáš Souček.

Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.

West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice smiling with clenched fists in front of him.

Captain Declan Rice has led West Ham to an impressive record of won 11, drawn one and lost none in Europe this season.

Rob Newell/CameraSport/Getty Images

West Ham United vs. AZ Alkmaar: When and where?

West Ham host AZ Alkmaar at the London Stadium on Thursday, May 11. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. BST in the UK, (3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT in the US and 5 a.m. AEST on Friday, May 12, in Australia).

How to watch the West Ham vs. AZ Alkmaar game online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game -- that's where using 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 also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

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 has stuck 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, nonblackout 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 deems to be 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.

Sarah Tew/CNET

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 the West Ham vs. AZ Alkmaar game in the US

Thursday's big match in London will be available to stream on Paramount Plus, which has live broadcast rights in the US for every UEFA Europa Conference League, Europa League and Champions League fixture for the 2022-23 season.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Paramount Plus has two main subscription plans in the US: Essential for $5 a month ($50 a year if you pay annually) and Premium for $10 a month ($100 a year). Both offer coverage of all Europa Conference League, Europa League and Champions League fixtures this season.

The cheaper Essential option has ads for on-demand streaming and lacks live CBS feeds as well as the ability to download shows to watch offline later. Newcomers to the service can take advantage of a 30-day free trial, while students may qualify for a 25% discount.

Read our Paramount Plus review.

Livestream the West Ham vs. AZ Alkmaar game in the UK

Europa Conference League rights in the UK are held by BT Sport, with this game set to be broadcast on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate 4K channels. If you already have BT Sport as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via the BT Sport app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a BT Sport Monthly Pass account to stream the game.

If you're already a BT TV customer you can currently access BT Sport channels for £10 a month. BT Broadband customers can watch the channels via the BT Sport app for £16.

If you don't want to be locked down to a lengthy contract, there's also the option of BT Sport Monthly Pass, which costs £30 a month and lets you stream all four BT Sport channels across iOS and Android devices, plus a wide range of set-top boxes and smart TVs. It's a rolling one-month contract that you can cancel at any time.

Livestream the West Ham vs. AZ Alkmaar game in Canada

If you want to stream this game live in Canada, you'll need to subscribe to DAZN Canada. The service has exclusive broadcast rights to every Europa Conference League match this season.

A DAZN subscription currently costs CA$25 a month or CA$200 a year and will also give you access to the Europa League, Champions League and EFL Championship soccer, Six Nations rugby and WTA tennis.

As well as dedicated apps for iOS and Android, there's a wide range of support for set-top boxes and smart TVs.

Livestream the West Ham vs. AZ Alkmaar game in Australia

Football fans Down Under can watch this UEFA Europa Conference League fixture on streaming service Stan Sport, which is showing every single Europa League game live in Australia this season.

Stan Sport will set you back AU$10 per month (on top of a AU$10 Stan subscription), but the streaming service is currently offering a seven-day free trial.

A subscription will also give you access to the UEFA Champions League and Europa League action, as well as international rugby and Formula E.

Quick tips for streaming the Europa Conference League using a VPN 

  • With four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming Europa Conference League 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.