The 2022-23 FA Cup final is upon us, and it looks set to be a cracker.
For the first time ever, a Manchester derby will decide the destination of the trophy. Man City arguably have more to play for, with the Premier League crown already secured and Champions League final taking place next week.
But Man Utd will be desperate to stop their rivals from becoming the first team since the Red Devils in 1999 to secure the treble. Victory would also mean a second trophy in Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge.
Here’s how to watch the FA Cup final live, whether you’re based in the US, UK or elsewhere.
When is the FA Cup final?
The FA Cup final takes place today, 3 June 2023. It kicks off at 3pm UK time at Wembley Stadium, which translates to 10am ET or 7am PT.
But unlike earlier in the competition, there are no replays. If the teams are level after 90 minutes, the match will go to extra time and potentially penalties.
How to watch the FA Cup final in the US
In the US, the FA Cup is only available via ESPN+, meaning you’ll need to pay for a subscription.
Paying $9.99 for a month’s access makes most sense, but $99.99 gets you the channel for a full year. ESPN+ is also the place to watch many American football, hockey, golf and basketball matches, plus many top European football leagues.
You can sign up now via the ESPN website.
How to watch the FA Cup final in the UK
The FA Cup rights have been split between the BBC and ITV this year, with both showing the final live.
These channels are free to watch, provided you have a TV Licence. This currently costs £159 per year, and is a requirement if you watch any live TV or use BBC iPlayer. Once that’s sorted, just navigate to BBC One on your TV or head to iPlayer to start streaming.
ITV matches are available on ITV1 or ITV4 via your TV, or ITVX (previously ITV Hub) when streaming. Catching up on ITV content is exempt from the TV Licence, but you’ll need one if you watch live.
How to watch the FA Cup final outside the US or UK
If you’re not based in the US or UK, it’s worth checking which broadcaster is showing the FA Cup in your country. Signing up there will be the easiest way to watch live.
But if you’re just on holiday or a trip abroad, a VPN is your best option.
This allows you to connect to encrypted servers and appear in another country, complete with a new IP address that can’t be traced back to you. That makes it a good option to protect your privacy, too.
We’re using NordVPN for the purposes of this tutorial. It tops our best VPN round-up, but there are plenty of great alternatives. Just make sure the one you choose can unblock the BBC iPlayer or ITVX.
To get started, just open the NordVPN app and connect to any server in the UK. You can do this by selecting it on a map, or just clicking the UK flag below the ‘Quick Connect’ button. Once connected, just start watching like you normally would.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Want more football? Here’s how to watch the Premier League, Champions League and Europa League live. We also have a guide for watching March Madness basketball.
Author: Anyron Copeman, Senior Staff Writer
As the resident expert on Windows, Senior Staff Writer Anyron’s main focus is PCs and laptops. Much of the rest of his time is split between smartphones, tablets and audio, with a particular focus on Android devices.