Why You Can Trust CNET Watch FA Cup Soccer: Livestream Brighton vs. Man United From Anywhere
Can United put their European misery behind them, or will the in-form Seagulls make it to the final?
Manchester United will be desperate to avoid a second cup exit in the space of a few days, as they face a confident Brighton side in this FA Cup semifinal at Wembley.
Having won the Carabao Cup back in February, a domestic cup double is still in reach for United. That feat looks very much in doubt however, following a confidence-sapping 3-0 collapse against Sevilla on Thursday that saw them crash out of the UEFA Europa League in embarrassing style.
After calamitous displays from goalkeeper David de Gea and the much-maligned Harry Maguire, coach Erik ten Hag looks likely to drop both players in what's set to be a rotated United lineup for this last-four clash.
United will come up against an arguably more formidable opponent than Sevilla on Sunday, as they take on a Brighton side that has flourished under boss Roberto De Zerbi. The free-scoring Seagulls are very much in the mix for European qualification via the English Premier League, and come into this semifinal having scored at least once in their last nine games in all competitions.
These two sides memorably met in the 1983 FA Cup final, with the Red Devils winning the replay 4-0 after the teams had played out a 2-2 at Wembley five days earlier.
Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live, wherever you are in the world.
Harry Maguire had another night to forget for Manchester United on Thursday, a performance that looks likely to see him benched for this FA Cup semifinal.
Brighton vs. Manchester United: When and where?
Brighton face Manchester United in this FA Cup semifinal in the neutral setting of London's Wembley Stadium on Sunday, April 23. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. BST local time in the UK (11:30 a.m. ET, 8:30 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 1:30 a.m. AEST on Monday, April 24 in Australia).
How to watch the Brighton vs. Manchester United 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. 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.
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 Brighton vs. Manchester United game in the US
This cup match at Old Trafford is streaming exclusively live in the US on ESPN Plus. Kickoff is at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT) on Saturday for viewers in the States.
ESPN's standalone streaming service costs $10 a month or $100 for an annual subscription. With it, you'll be able to watch all of this season's FA Cup fixtures. Read our ESPN Plus review.
Livestream the Brighton vs. Man United game for free 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.
This fixture is being shown exclusively on BBC1, with coverage starting at 4 p.m. BST ahead of the 4:30 p.m. kick-off.
With the match being broadcast on BBC1, that also means you'll also be able to watch the game online for free via the network's on-demand streaming service, BBC iPlayer.
With an app that's available for Android and Apple mobile devices, as well as a vast array of smart TVs and streaming boxes, all you need is a valid UK TV license to stream the game.
Livestream Brighton vs. Man United game in Canada
Canadian soccer fans looking to watch this big FA Cup fixture can watch all the action live via Sportsnet.
Sportsnet is available via most cable operators, but cord-cutters can subscribe to the network's standalone streaming service SN Now instead, with prices starting at CA$15 per month or CA$150 per year.
Livestream Brighton vs. Manchester United game in Australia
ViacomCBS now holds the broadcast rights for the FA Cup in Australia, which means you can now watch matches from the tournament live Down Under via streaming service Paramount Plus. You'll just have to set an alarm for the early hours of Monday morning: kickoff is at 1:30 a.m. AEST.
An Australian Paramount Plus subscription currently costs AU$9 a month, which gives you access to Paramount's coverage of this year's tournament, as well as Hollywood movies such as Top Gun: Maverick and original shows like Picard and Tulsa King.
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.