Manchester United host Championship side Reading on Saturday in this FA Cup fourth round clash, with the Red Devils looking to continue their rapid improvement under coach Eric ten Haag.
United have been in superb cup form this season, having already eased their way to the knockout phase of the Europa League, and now also have one foot in the EFL Cup final following their midweek 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the first leg of the semifinals.
That match saw in-form Marcus Rashford, new loan signing Wout Weghorst and Portuguese star Bruno Fernandes all get on the scoresheet. It’s unlikely any of the trio will feature here, with ten Haag likely to rotate his starting lineup ahead of a compressed fixture list.
Saturday’s match will see former Manchester United midfielder and current Reading coach Paul Ince return to Old Trafford with his side currently stuck midtable in the Championship. The Royals come into this clash off the back of a heavy 4-0 league defeat to Stoke last week and, with just one win in five, an FA Cup shock seems unlikely.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live, wherever you are in the world.
Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Manchester United vs. Reading: When and where?
Man United hosts Reading at Old Trafford on Saturday, Jan. 28. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. local time in the UK (3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 7 a.m. AEDT on Jan. 28 in Australia).
How to watch the Manchester United vs. Reading 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.
Sarah Tew/CNET 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 Manchester United vs. Reading game in the US
This cup match at Old Trafford is streaming exclusively live in the US on ESPN Plus. Kick-off is at 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT) on Saturday afternoon 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, including this intriguing match-up at Old Trafford. Read our ESPN Plus review.
Livestream the Man United vs. Reading 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 broadcast duties for this season’s FA Cup.
This fixture is being shown exclusively on ITV4, with coverage starting at 7:15 p.m. GMT ahead of the 8 p.m. kick-off.
ITV With the match being broadcast on ITV4, that also means you’ll also be able to watch the game online for free via the network’s on-demand streaming service, ITVX (formerly ITV Hub). The service has an updated new app that’s available for Android and Apple mobile devices, as well as a vast array of smart TVs.
Livestream Man United vs. Reading game in Canada
Canadian soccer fans looking to watch this big FA Cup fixture can watch all the action live via Sportsnet, with kickoff at Old Trafford set for 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT) on Friday afternoon.
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 Manchester United vs. Reading 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 early Sunday morning: kickoff is at 7 a.m. AEDT.