The Premier League is one of the most internationally watched sports leagues in the world. Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and the rest of England’s top flight attract supporters far beyond the cities they represent. That global popularity creates an unusual problem for fans: where you are can determine how — or whether — you can watch a particular Premier League match. Premier League broadcast rights are divided between countries and regions. A match available through NBC’s coverage in the United States may have a completely different broadcaster in Canada, Australia, the UK or elsewhere.
Travel between those regions and you may encounter a geo-restricted stream, blocked streaming service or different match availability. There are also actual EPL broadcast blackouts to understand, particularly the famous Saturday afternoon restriction in the UK. A VPN is one method for dealing with geographic restrictions. It routes your internet connection through a server in a location you select, changing the IP address and location associated with your connection.
Quick Guide: Unblocking Premier League Matches
Already know why your match is blocked? Here’s the basic method:
- Get a VPN. We recommend ExpressVPN.
- Install the VPN app on the device you’ll use to watch.
- Connect to the appropriate server location.
- Open your Premier League streaming service.
- Sign into your existing account.
- Find the match and check its availability.
A VPN changes the location associated with your internet connection. You’ll still need access to the appropriate streaming service and coverage for the match you want to watch.
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Why Are Premier League Streams Geo-Restricted?
The EPL doesn’t have one streaming service that provides identical access worldwide. Instead, broadcast rights are sold geographically. NBC Sports holds Premier League rights in the United States. Fubo holds the Canadian rights. Stan Sport carries the competition in Australia. Sky Sports and TNT Sports hold live rights in the UK. And the list continues around the world.
Streaming services can use information such as your IP address to determine your approximate location. If you’re outside the territory where a service provides its Premier League coverage, you may encounter a geographic restriction. That’s geo-blocking. It’s why the same English Premier League match can be available through completely different services depending on where you’re watching. It’s also why traveling can cause problems even when your normal streaming setup hasn’t changed. Your account may be the same. The laptop may be the same. Your club certainly hasn’t changed. But your location has.
How Does a VPN Unblock Premier League Streams?
A VPN changes the route your internet connection takes. Normally, you connect to the internet using an IP address associated with your current network and approximate location. When you connect to a VPN, your internet traffic first travels through the VPN server you’ve selected. Websites and online services then see the IP address associated with that server. That’s the part that’s relevant to Premier League geo-restrictions. If you’re traveling and encounter content restricted according to your location, a VPN gives you a way to select a different server location for your connection.
Why Are Premier League Matches Blacked Out in the UK?
Premier League geo-restrictions are only part of the story. The UK also has one of the most famous broadcast blackouts in sports. Matches played during the traditional Saturday 3 p.m. football window aren’t normally shown live on domestic television in the UK. This can produce a situation that initially seems backwards: a Premier League match being played in England may be available to viewers thousands of miles away but unavailable to watch live on domestic television in the UK.
Are Matches Blacked Out Because You Live Near the Club?
No. This is an important difference between Premier League blackouts and the type of local-market restrictions American sports fans may be familiar with. You aren’t blacked out simply because you live near Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United or another Premier League club.
An Arsenal supporter living near the Emirates isn’t automatically prevented from watching Arsenal because of their proximity to the stadium. Instead, the major UK restriction revolves around the Saturday afternoon broadcast window. Someone in Manchester can therefore encounter the same restriction involving a 3 p.m. match taking place in London.
Why Does the UK Have a 3 p.m. Football Blackout?
The reasoning extends beyond the Premier League. England has an enormous football pyramid. While Premier League clubs are playing on a Saturday afternoon, matches are also taking place throughout the Championship, League One, League Two and non-league football. The closed broadcast window has historically been intended to protect match attendance and the atmosphere throughout English football. The idea is that putting major televised matches against lower-league games could encourage supporters to stay home rather than attend a match in person. As a result, domestic broadcasters don’t simply televise every Saturday 3 p.m. Premier League match live.
Why Can Americans Watch a Match That’s Blacked Out in England?
This is where the international structure of Premier League broadcasting becomes particularly interesting. The UK blackout applies to domestic broadcasting. International broadcasters operate in their own territories. That means a Saturday afternoon match could simultaneously be: Unavailable live on domestic UK television but Available through authorized Premier League coverage in the United States or another international market.
The match hasn’t disappeared. The broadcast availability has changed according to territory. This is also why blackouts and geo-restrictions aren’t the same thing, even though both can result in a fan being unable to watch a match. A blackout prevents certain matches from being broadcast during a particular window or within a particular market. A geo-restriction limits online content according to the geographic location of the viewer. Understanding which one you’re encountering is the first step toward figuring out why you can’t watch your match.
Where to Watch Premier League Around the World
Premier League broadcast rights change significantly by country. Here are some of the major current rights holders:
| Country / Region | Premier League Rights Holder |
|---|---|
| United States | NBC Sports |
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports, TNT Sports |
| Canada | Fubo |
| Australia | Stan Sport |
| New Zealand | Sky NZ |
| France | CANAL+ |
| Germany | Sky Deutschland |
| Spain | DAZN |
| Italy | Sky Italia |
| Portugal | DAZN |
| Netherlands | Viaplay |
| Belgium | Telenet |
| Denmark | Viaplay |
| Sweden | Viaplay |
| Norway | Viaplay |
| Finland | Viaplay |
| Poland | CANAL+ |
| Turkey | beIN Sports |
| Ireland | Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Premier Sports |
| India / South Asia | JioStar |
| Japan | U-Next |
| South Korea | Coupang |
| China | Migu |
| Hong Kong | PCCW |
| Malaysia | Astro |
| Singapore | StarHub / Premier League+* |
| Indonesia | EMTEK |
| Thailand | Jasmine International / Mono |
| Vietnam | FPT Play |
| Middle East & North Africa | beIN Sports |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | SuperSport |
| Brazil | ESPN |
| South America | ESPN |
| Mexico | Fox Broadcasting Corporation, TNT Sports Mexico |
| Caribbean | ESPN |
Premier League rights are available across many additional countries and territories. The important takeaway isn’t memorizing every broadcaster. It’s understanding that Premier League streaming changes when you cross broadcast territories.
How to Watch EPL in the USA
NBC Sports holds the U.S. rights to the English Premier League.
American coverage is distributed across NBCUniversal platforms, including:
- Peacock
- NBC
- USA Network
That provides extensive Premier League access in the United States, but it also creates something worth checking before assuming you’ve encountered a geo-block. Not every match is necessarily on the same platform. If you open Peacock on Saturday morning and can’t find Manchester United or Liverpool, check the broadcast listing first. The match may be carried elsewhere within NBCUniversal’s coverage. For American viewers, geographic restrictions become particularly relevant when traveling outside the United States.
Watching Premier League While Traveling Abroad
Imagine you’re a Liverpool supporter living in the United States. You’ve watched matches from the same couch all season. Then work sends you abroad. You take the same phone. You still have your streaming accounts. Liverpool is playing on Saturday. But when you open your normal streaming service, things don’t look the same. That’s because you’ve entered a different broadcast territory.
A VPN gives you the ability to select the server location through which you’re connecting to the internet. For frequent travelers, we’d install and test the VPN before leaving home, rather than discovering you need it five minutes before kickoff. A VPN also encrypts the connection between your device and the VPN server, which can be valuable when you’re using hotel, airport, café or other public Wi-Fi.
Best VPN for Premier League: Why We Use ExpressVPN
There are plenty of VPNs available, but Premier League fans have a particular reason to care about international coverage. This isn’t a league followed only within England. Premier League supporters watch from North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and practically everywhere in between.
We prefer ExpressVPN because it combines:
- Server locations around the world
- Fast connections suited to live streaming
- Easy switching between server locations
- Apps for popular streaming devices
- Encryption for greater online privacy
- Protection when using hotel, airport, café and other shared Wi-Fi networks
That last point becomes particularly useful for traveling supporters. If you’re waking up for an early kickoff from a hotel room or catching a match during a work trip, you’re often using networks you don’t control. A VPN gives you both a way to change your connection location and an additional layer of privacy.
A Quick History of the Premier League
Today’s Premier League feels inseparable from English soccer, but the competition in its current form is relatively young. The Premier League was established in 1992, when clubs in England’s top division broke away from the Football League to form a new competition. Since then, it has developed into a truly international sports product.
The league now consists of 20 clubs, with each playing the other 19 teams home and away. That gives every club 38 league matches and produces 380 Premier League matches per season. Teams receive three points for a win and one for a draw. At the other end of the table, the bottom three clubs are relegated to the EFL Championship and replaced by promoted teams. That promotion and relegation system is one of the things that distinguishes the Premier League from closed American professional leagues. A club can rise through England’s football pyramid to reach the Premier League—and Premier League membership is never permanently guaranteed.
How the Premier League Season Works
The Premier League runs from late summer through spring. Each of the 20 clubs plays:
- 19 home matches
- 19 away matches
- 38 matches total
That produces 380 league fixtures over the course of a full season. Teams receive:
- 3 points for a win
- 1 point for a draw
- 0 points for a loss
The club with the most points at the end of the season becomes Premier League champion. Meanwhile, the bottom three clubs are relegated to the Championship. For supporters accustomed to American sports, there’s no postseason playoff to determine the Premier League champion. Every point earned from August through May contributes directly to the final league table.
The 2026/27 Premier League Season
The new Premier League campaign begins on Friday, August 21, 2026. Defending champion Arsenal opens the season at home against newly promoted Coventry City. Coventry is joined in the Premier League by Ipswich Town and Hull City, giving the league three new clubs for 2026/27.
Opening weekend includes:
- Arsenal vs. Coventry City
- Hull City vs. Manchester United
- Everton vs. Crystal Palace
- Ipswich Town vs. Sunderland
- Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds United
- Brentford vs. Tottenham Hotspur
- Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Aston Villa
- Manchester City vs. Bournemouth
- Newcastle United vs. Liverpool
- Fulham vs. Chelsea
The season ultimately contains 380 matches, giving supporters months of opportunities to follow their club.
Premier League Rivalries Worth Watching
You don’t need to support one of these clubs to understand when certain fixtures mean more.
Liverpool vs. Manchester United
Two of England’s most historically successful clubs meet in one of the biggest fixtures in world soccer.
Arsenal vs. Tottenham
The North London derby divides a section of England’s capital between two longtime rivals.
Manchester City vs. Manchester United
The Manchester derby puts two clubs from the same city against each other, with the rivalry taking on even greater significance during periods when both are competing near the top.
Liverpool vs. Everton
The Merseyside derby brings together two clubs separated by only a short distance within Liverpool.
These are also the types of Premier League matches that attract viewers far beyond either club’s regular supporters, making it particularly worthwhile to check the broadcaster and streaming availability before kickoff.
Find Your Premier League Club
This guide covers Premier League streaming, geo-restrictions and blackouts across the league. For club-specific information, choose your team below.
| Premier League Club | Premier League Club |
|---|---|
| Arsenal | Aston Villa |
| Bournemouth | Brentford |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Chelsea |
| Coventry City | Crystal Palace |
| Everton | Fulham |
| Hull City | Ipswich Town |
| Leeds United | Liverpool |
| Manchester City | Manchester United |
| Newcastle United | Nottingham Forest |
| Sunderland | Tottenham Hotspur |
Each club guide focuses on watching that particular team, international viewing, geo-restrictions and using a VPN while traveling.
Premier League Stream Blocked? Check This First
Seeing an error message doesn’t necessarily mean you’re encountering a geo-restriction. Work through the obvious possibilities first.
Check Where the Match Is Being Shown
Make sure the match is actually available through the service you’ve opened.
Check Your Location
If you’re traveling, remember that you’ve entered a different Premier League broadcast territory.
Check Your VPN Server
Make sure you’re connected and that you’ve selected the location you intended to use.
Restart the Streaming App
If you connected to the VPN after opening the streaming app, close the app and reopen it.
Try Another Appropriate VPN Server
If you’re experiencing connection problems, another server in the appropriate location may perform better.
Check Your Streaming Subscription
A VPN changes the location associated with your connection. It doesn’t replace the streaming service or subscription needed to watch the match.
Premier League Geo-Restriction, Blackout & VPN FAQ
Premier League broadcast rights are sold geographically. Different companies therefore have the right to show matches in different countries, and streaming availability can change according to your location.
A VPN lets you connect through a server in another location. Connect to the appropriate VPN server, open your streaming service, sign into your existing account and check the availability of the match.
The best-known Premier League example is the UK’s Saturday afternoon closed broadcast window.
Yes. A VPN changes how your internet connection is routed. It doesn’t provide a subscription to a Premier League broadcaster.
Follow the Premier League From Anywhere
The Premier League became a global competition without becoming a global one-service streaming product. That’s an important distinction. Twenty clubs compete in England, but their supporters watch from almost every corner of the world. Different broadcasters serve those supporters, different restrictions apply in different territories, and crossing a border can completely change the streaming options available to you.
Knowing why Premier League matches are geo-restricted, how UK blackouts work and what to check when a stream is blocked makes those problems much easier to understand. And when location is the issue, a VPN gives you another way to control where your internet connection appears to originate while also providing additional privacy when you’re away from home.
