Ligue 1 is the top division in French football. The best clubs compete in it evert year. The historic football league has seen many great teams over the years. The Olympique Lyonnais has set a record for the most consecutive titles, while Paris Saint-Germain has been in the top division for over 45 consecutive seasons. The current champions, Lillie, have been celebrating their fourth League 1 victory. After an exciting year of football, fans are ready for the 2021-22 season to begin. The opening day is August 8th. Those wanting to follow their favorite clubs may have a hard time. Many broadcasters use geo-restrictions. Meanwhile, in-market viewers may not be able to see the match due to blackout restrictions. Join us as we go over how to stream La Liga with a VPN.
How to Watch Ligue 1 with a VPN
Here’s a quick guide for watching Ligue 1 football games with a VPN.
- Sign up for ExpressVPN (30 day risk-free money-back guarantee)
- Install the ExpressVPN browser extension, desktop, or mobile app.
- Launch the ExpressVPN app and select a server in your chosen region.
- Cheer on your favorite team through ESPN or any of the popular streaming services that broadcast the games.
Broadcasters for Ligue 1
Ligue 1 features hundreds of game every season. keeping up with them all can be difficult as they are not always on the TV. Luckily, there are a large variety of broadcasters for different regions of the world. I hope you can watch your favorite one through every match.
Here are a few of the broadcasters in these regions:
- Europe: Amazon Prime, Canal+, DAZN, BT Sport, Sky Sport, and Sport 1
- North America: beIN Sports and ESPN
- South America: ESPN
- Asia: beIN Sports and DAZN
Ligue 1 History and Team Info
Ligue 1 was originally started in 1930’s. The league had 20 members that made up the best France had to offer in football. The first winner was Olympique Lillois. It was started as a round robin type of competition. Every football club would play in a total of 38 games. This meant that each team would play against one another twice. The team with the best record would win the league. Meanwhile, they added relegation and promotion in 1936. It was originally known as Division 1. This came with a decrease in the total members in the top division to 16 and less games. French professional football was changed once again in the 1940’s and 1960’s to increase the number of clubs. Currently, 20 teams compete every year in the top division.
After a season has ended, the bottom two teams will be relegated, while the top two teams of Ligue 2 are promoted. The name Ligue 1 was created in 2002. Before then, the it was simply known as division 1. The 18th ranked Ligue 1 and 3rd ranked Ligue 2 team compete in a play-off to see who plays in the higher division the following year. One other competition held by the French Football Federation is the Coupe de France. This is a knockout cup completion that occurs at the same time as the regular season. The winner of this tournament faces the champion of Ligue 1 in a domestic competition known as the Trophee des Champions. Depending on how well they do, the top finishing Ligue 1 teams of each season earn the right to play in the UEFA Champions or Europa League.
Use a VPN to Bypass Ligue 1 Blackout Restrictions
Before we get more in depth as to how to watch Ligue 1 matches with a VPN let us tell you more about the benefits of using a VPN for watching sports. Sports often have blackout restrictions for multiple reasons. One is an attempt to encourage more people to go to the game. Another is that the broadcast is only available in certain countries or regions. A VPN can help you out in these situations because it allows you to change your IP address. It does this by allowing you to choose a server location and assigning you an IP address from the region. If you choose a server in an area that the game is watchable, then you will be able to stream it. A VPN also hides your IP address and helps protect your privacy.
Ligue 1 is one of the most popular football leagues in the world. There are hundreds of games on each season. They can be watched through ESPN, beIN Sports, Canal +, DAZN, Sky Sports, and more. However, just because there are a variety of broadcasters, it does not mean you will not encounter blackout restrictions. In-market matches will not always be on the local network. Connecting to a VPN will help you avoid the blackout restrictions to cheer on your favorite team all season long.
How to Watch Ligue 1 Matches with ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is our top pick for watching sports. You can unblock your favorite games and events using the service. The Best part is that ExpressVPN can be used on up to 5 devices at a time. This means you can watch different games or feeds. ExpressVPN has apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Chromebook, and Kindle Fire. The service has web extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. You can also use it on Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick, Samsung Smart TV, Roku Chromecast, Nvidia Shield, and Android TV. ExpressVPN even has options for those wanting to use their Xbox or PlayStation to watch sports. The service also has an app for your routers. ExpressVPN will allow you to watch sports unrestricted from any of these devices.
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