Steeped in tradition and sporting romance, the FA Cup remains the footballing world's most famous domestic knockout tournament. Read on to find out how to get an FA Cup live stream and watch matches from this season's tournament online from anywhere.
While it may have lost its top-tier tournament status and priority with managers in England in recent years to the Premier League, the "magic of the cup" remains for fans and players alike.
Much of what makes it special comes from the fact that any team from the top 10 tiers of English soccer are eligible to take part, offering the dream of a trip to Wembley for the showpiece final for lower league opposition.
While the chances of FA Cup glory are now somewhat remote for smaller clubs (you'd have to go all the way back to 1980 and West Ham's shock win over Arsenal for the last time a team outside of the top division lifted the tournament's famous jug-like trophy), the tournament does nevertheless continue to throw up giant-killing results and the prospect of superstar Premier League stars battling out against far less storied opposition in the confines of more humble stadiums on less than elite-level pitches.
After initial qualifying stages for teams outside of the Football League, the tournament starts in earnest in its straight knockout format in November each year with Round 1.
Things begin to hot up at Round 3 in January, with the introduction of 1st and 2nd tier Premier League and Championship clubs.
London club Arsenal is the most successful club in the tournament, having notched 14 titles, with former boss Arsène Wenger the most successful manager in the history of the competition, having seen his team lift the trophy on seven occasions.
The Gunners extended their FA Cup haul (Man United currently sit second in the most wins table with 10 triumphs) by winning last year's tournament after a surprise 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola's much-fancied Man City, though Mikel Arteta's men won't retain the trophy after being knocked out in the fourth round this year by Southampton.
The bookies currently have City down to right that wrong, having installed the Sky Blues as their favorites to win this year's tournament, though Manchester United and Chelsea remain in the competition at the quarter-final stage.
Read on for full details on how to get a live stream of this year's FA Cup matches no matter where you are in the world with our guide below.
FA Cup schedule: Where and when?
This year's remaining schedule is a follows, with matches taking place in grounds across England and Wales, culminating with the showpiece final at the iconic Wembley stadium in London:
- Quarter-finals: From Saturday, 20 March 2021
- Semi-finals: From Saturday, 17 April 2021
- Final: Saturday, 15 May 2021
FA Cup quarter-final fixtures
The draw for the sixth round — or quarter-finals — took place on February 11 after the majority of fifth-round ties had been played. Games will be played on the weekend of March 20-21.
Here's the full schedule of quarter-final fixtures:
- Bournemouth vs Southampton — Saturday, March 20 - 12:15pm GMT
- Everton vs Man City — Saturday, March 20 - 5:30pm GMT
- Leicester vs Manchester United — Sunday, March 21 - 5pm GMT
- Chelsea vs Sheffield United — Sunday, March 21 - 1:30 pm GMT
Watch the FA Cup online from outside your country
We have details of all the U.S., UK, Australian, and Canadian broadcasters of the FA Cup further down in this guide. If you're intent on watching matches from this season's tournament but find yourself away from home then you'll likely run into problems when trying to stream your domestic coverage online from abroad as it's likely to be geo-blocked.
That's where a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can be a lifesaver. They allow you to virtually change the IP of your laptop, tablet, or mobile to one that's back in your home country, letting you watch as if you were back there.
VPNs are incredibly easy to use and have the added benefit of giving you a further layer of security when surfing the web. There are lots of options, and we recommend ExpressVPN as our #1 pick due to its speed, security, and ease of use. It can be used on a vast array of operating systems and devices (e.g. iOS, Android, Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, Roku, games consoles, etc). Sign up for ExpressVPN now now and enjoy a 49% discount and 3 months FREE with an annual subscription. Or give it a try with its 30-day money back guarantee. Looking for other options? Here are some of the best VPN deals right now.
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How to watch the FA Cup online in the U.S.
ESPN has exclusive broadcast rights to the 2020/21 FA Cup. Matches will be shown on its ESPN+ streaming service.
If you find yourself unable to access ESPN's coverage because you're out of the country, remember that you can use a VPN to tune into your usual coverage just like you would at home. Of the many options, ExpressVPN as outlined above, remains one of the best services currently out there.
How to stream the FA Cup live in the UK
Coverage of this iconic tournament is this year once again shared between subscription service BT Sport and free-to-air public service broadcaster BBC.
The BBC has the rights to show 16 matches live throughout the tournament, with BT Sport having the bulk of live coverage with the rights to 24 (and offering some of those games in 4K via its BT Sport Ultimate channel). Both broadcasters will be showing the final from Wembley live.
To see as many games as possible, new customers can purchase a BT Sport Monthly Pass for £25 per month, which lets anyone buy and watch BT Sport on a month-by-month basis. Now TV devices are supported, as are PlayStation and Xbox consoles, Apple TV, Chromecast Ultra, and selected Smart TVs.
Sign up for a BT Sport Monthly Pass
How to stream the 2020/21 FA Cup live in Canada
Sportsnet is the rightsholder for live FA Cup games throughout the course of the competition.
If you're already a Sportsnet subscriber as part of your TV package, you can stream Sportsnet online at no extra charge. The network is also available on a streaming-only basis with plans starting from just C$9.99 a month.
Live stream the 20/21 FA Cup live in Australia
If you're planning on watching matches from this season's FA Cup in Australia, then you'll need to have access to ESPN as they own the rights to competition Down Under. The network is available as part of most Foxtel TV packages, you can also access ESPN just as easily via Kayo Sports.
The over-the-top service will let you stream loads of top-level sport, including Spain's La Liga and F1 motor racing, all for the very reasonable price of just AU$25 per month for a basic package, or AU$35 a month for the premium offering. Better still, Kayo Sports is contract-free and offers a 14-day FREE TRIAL for newcomers to the service.
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