Home VPN How to watch 3pm Kick-offs in the UK

How to watch 3pm Kick-offs in the UK

November 1, 2021

There’s an odd rule in the UK that prevents any live football being shown on TV between 3pm-5pm on a Saturday.

This article will show you how you can get around this ban and watch EVERY Premier League game.

Best of all, the workaround will work all season and costs less than a Sky Sports and/or BT Sport subscription. Continue reading to find out how to watch 3pm kickoffs in the UK.

How to watch 3pm kick-offs: Quick guide

To watch 3pm matches in the UK you need to gain access to FuboTV which is a streaming service based in the US.

FuboTV will give you access to NBCS which is NBC’s Sports network and this network broadcasts all the Premier League games.

To get FuboTV follow these simple steps:

Get NordVPN ($3.49/month)
Install the VPN app
Open the VPN app and connect to a server in the US
Go to fubo.tv
Sign up for a 7-day free trial (use a MasterCard or PayPal and enter a fake US Zip Code)
Watch 3PM Premier League kickoffs

Note: Fubo.tv is an online cable subscription. So you’re getting much more than just access to the Premier League stream. Sighn up to Fubo.tv and you’re getting access to the EPL, Champions League, La Liga, Ligue 1, MLS, NFL, MLB, PGA Tour and heaps more. Plus TV shows and films.

Why can’t I watch 3pm games in the UK?

The rationale behind the Saturday 3pm football bans makes sense. It’s a rule that’s been put in place by the FA to encourage fans to support their local teams rather than staying in to watch a top-flight game on TV at 3pm.

The direct (or indirect) result is that all four Football leagues in the UK have higher attendances than anywhere else in Europe. And not just by a little bit. By a huge margin.

How to watch 3pm Premier League kickoffs in the UK?

If you want to watch 3pm Premier League games in the UK, you’re going to need two things.

1. A really good VPN

The first thing you need to do is spoof your internet connection to make it appear as if you’re in the US.

To do this you need a good VPN.

If you want the very best VPN speeds, I suggest you spend a couple of extra quid and get NordVPN ($3.49/month). NordVPN is a premium VPN service that delivers unrivalled speeds and world-class privacy.

If you want a simple VPN that does the job with minimal fuss, we recommend getting ether Private Internet Access ($2.85/month), Ivacy ($1.16/month).

2. An overseas sports subscription

The next thing you need is a subscription to an overseas sports package.

We recommend using the US online cable TV service Fubo.tv. It works with non-US cards, and gives you access to full Cable as well. Click here for a Fubo.tv 7-day FREE trial (then £30/month)

With these two things, you’ll be able to stream EVERY Premier League Fixture, including 3pm games on a Saturday. And the monthly price of a VPN (£3-£5/month) + overseas subscription (£10-£30) is still much cheaper than a single subscription to Sky Sports and/or BT Sport.

Which VPN should I use?

1. NordVPN

The BEST VPN of 2022

Pro

Fast servers
No logs
Thousands of IP addresses
6-simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
Easy-to-use app

Cons

No refunds for purchases from iTunes/App store

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$3.49/month for 2-years
$6.99/month for 1-year
$11.95/month for 1 month

NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And its easy to see why. It’s a polished app that delivers fast connections (more on this later) to a massive network of VPN servers. It’s the most reliable at unblocking popular streaming services too – US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. This is because NordVPN hired full-time technical team (that’s responsible for monitoring its servers connections with popular TV streaming services) and has been aggressively investing in its network of IP addresses in key locations. Another interesting thing to note is that NordVPN is an industry leader in its development of Nordlynx technology. Nordlynx is built using the WireGuard, a new VPN tunnelling protocol designed to outperform current standards (OpenVPN and IPSec). The benefits, according to NordVPN, are dramatically faster transfer speeds while connected to a VPN. My tests – New Zealand to London – confirm that Nordlynx is currently the fastest VPN on the market. However, the difference isn’t dramatic, a few Mbps is all.

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2. Ivacy

The BEST low-cost VPN

Pros

Fast servers
Thousands of IP addresses
Dedicated streaming servers
5-simultaneous connections
24/7 Live Chat
30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

Only 5 devices
Sometimes runs slow
Occasionally blocked by streaming sites

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$1.16/month for 5-years
$3.50/month for 1-year
$9.99/month for 1 month

If you’re looking for an excellent VPN, with an even better price tag, Ivacy ($1.16/month) is a great option. This VPN has all the features you need to stream BBC iPlayer, in HD, from any country in the world. I’ve been testing the app recently on Mac, PC, Android, iOS and FireStick and the results have been impressive – unlocking BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. with ease. The Ivacy app is a little different in regards to its UX (user experience). Instead of just selecting a UK server, you need to select the specific BBC iPlayer server. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – by connecting to a dedicated BBC iPlayer server, it simply means that you’re connecting to an IP address that Ivacy knows works with BBC iPlayer. For an extra $1.99/month (£1.74) you can add-on a dedicated IP. This will buy you sole access to an IP address in a country of your choice, meaning you won’t have to share your IP (and speeds) with any other use. I don’t recommend this though, using the regular Ivacy servers is enough 95 per cent of the time.

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3. ExpressVPN

A very reliable and fast VPN

Pros

Fast servers
Thousands of IP addresses
10-simultaneous connections
24/7 Live Chat
30-day money-back guarantee
Easy-to-use app

Cons

Expensive

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$6.66/month for 15 months
$9.99/month for 6 months
$12.95/month for 1 month

ExpressVPN is still one of the best VPNs you can buy. However, we’ve got it ranked in the number three spot for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s the most expensive VPN on the market. This was understandable when it was also the fastest and most reliable VPN too. But now it’s not. NordVPN is. ExpressVPN has recently been struggling to unblock some big streaming sites – BBC iPlayer and BeIN Sports – too. And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video etc. ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites (apart from BBC iPlayer). Meaning, whenever one of its servers is blacklisted it creates a new one – giving its users a constant stream of servers that aren’t blocked. Needless to say, this is a valuable attribute if you’re looking for a VPN to unblock streaming sites. Its app is easy-to-use and free to download on pretty much any device you can think of. Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireStick, Android TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox, Linux, even Apple TV (with a workaround). It’s got it all covered. The app is another main reason this VPN is so good at unblocking TV streaming sites (that claim they block VPNs) is that its software takes a pragmatic approach to user management. While other VPNs tempt customers by promising them access to hundreds/thousands of servers in multiple countries, ExpressVPN does things differently. With ExpressVPN you only have a handful of server locations to choose from. Once you select your location the app takes care of the rest. Assigning you to the fastest available server that’s not oversubscribed. This simple technique is so important, as it keeps ExpressVPN’s servers operating at lightning-fast speeds and prevent its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.

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4. Private Internet Access

The BEST mid-range VPN for streaming!

Pros

Fast and reliable servers
Thousands of IP addresses
10-simultaneous connections
24/7 Live Chat
30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

Only 48 server locations

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30-day money-back guarantee

$2.19/month for 3-years
$3.33/month for 1-year
$11.95/month for 1-month

Private Internet Access is one of the leading no-log VPN services with over 1 million paying customers. This VPN is one of the best in the industry at beating streaming sites’ VPN bans. It provides reliable connections with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ Amazon Prime Video, etc. It also allows 10 simultaneous devices to be connected to its servers at the same time, so you can share the account with your close friends. If, for whatever reason, you’re not happy with Private Internet Access, there’s a 24/7 live chat support available to assist you with your problem. PIA also offers the industry-standard 30-days money-back guarantee. From my tests (from New Zealand) I was able to get download speeds of 70 Mbps while connected to a UK server using the Private Internet Access VPN (my non-VPN speed is 100 Mbps).

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5. CyberGhost

Pros

1-day free trial
Reliable servers
Thousands of IP addresses
7-simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
Easy-to-use app

Cons

Expensive
Average speed scores

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30-day money-back guarantee

$2.75/month for 3 years
$3.69/month for 2 years
$5.99/month for 6 months
$12.99/month for 1 month

CyberGhost is one of the more established VPNs on the market. It has a well-established, and well-tested global network of servers that perform well. From my tests over the past several months, CyberGhost has no trouble at unblocking major streaming services – US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max etc. This VPN performed well at maintaining download speeds, well above 65 per cent of my regular (non VPN) ISP speed. That said, there’s nothing really unique about the service. Which forces you to look at its price-point. And there’s nothing special here. Its short-term $12.99/month price tag puts is well above the industry average of $10.10/month. Similarly, its long-term $2.75/month for 3 years deal isn’t much of a “deal” either. Oddly, CyberGhost’s most unique feature is its a 1-day, no obligations, free trial. This is an appealing offer to customers who are new to VPNs. However, it’s important to remember that most reputable VPNs will offer customers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so try not to be too seduced by the offer.

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How to watch Fubo.tv App on Android?

How to watch 3pm kickoffs in the UK - FuboTV

If you’re outside of the US and you want to watch your FuboTV package on your phone or tablet, then downloading the official app is difficult. Google Play will only let you access the US app store if you have an American debit/credit card and you relinquish access to your existing App store.

To get around this block, you need to download the FuboTV APK from a third party site and install it manually (similar to how you’d install a .exe file on Windows). You can find these APK’s easily – just enter this query into Google “FuboTV APK” and you’ll be presented with multiple options. Alternatively, go to https://apkpure.com/fubotv-live-sports-tv/tv.fubo.mobile and download the latest version of the app from here straight onto your Android device.

Once you’ve downloaded the FuboTV APK you need to go to your Setting menu and switch on the ‘Allow app from unknown source’ option.

FuboTV uses your data connection and GPS location to verify where you’re accessing its content from. To get around this you need to download your VPN provider’s Android app and also a Fake GPS Location app, we recommend Hola Fake GPS.

For Hola Fake GPS to work, you need to enable Developer Mode on your Android. This is easy. Go to Settings > About phone and then scroll down until you see ‘Build number’. Click on this several times and you will see a countdown notification saying “Press 4 more times to enter Developer Mode”. Once you’re in developer mode, open Hola Fake GPS and you will see a Settings menu pop-up that will guide you through the final step of spoofing your location.

That’s it. All you need to do now is select a GPS location in the USA. Then use your VPN to select a USA server/IP. Finally open the FuboTV app, login and enjoy live Sports on your mobile device.

Here are those instructions again.

Google “FuboTV APK” and download the APK to your Android device
Enable App from an unknown source and install your FuboTV APK.
Install your VPN and also Hola Fake GPS
Go to Settings > About Phone > Developer Mode (and press several times)
Launch Hola Fake GPS and follow settings to enable your fake GPS location
Open VPN and select a server/IP in the USA
Open FuboTV app > Login > Enjoy live sports

See also: How to watch BBC iPlayer abroad.

Why can’t I watch 3pm kickoffs in the UK: Continued…

The FA and Premier League won’t let UK broadcasters show Saturday 3 pm games because it wants to encourage fans to actually buy tickets and go to matches. Which is fair enough. However, outside of the UK is a different story. If you’re watching in the USA, Ireland, Australia – pretty much anywhere apart from the UK – you’ll be able to watch any Premier League fixture you want.

Until recently, the only way to watch a foreign TV channel was to be in front of a screen in that country. However, most networks now make their channels available to customers over the internet and this is how this tutorial works.

By signing up for a VPN, you can successfully spoof your computer’s location. Do this in a country like the USA – where the Premier League broadcasts 3 pm games – and the only the only remaining hurdle is signing up to a TV.

FuboTV.com is exactly that. You can register with a PayPal or UK credit card (we used MasterCard) for $39.99/month (£22.50) you get access to every Live Premier League game via the broadcaster’s website. That’s not all. Your subscription includes Champions League, Europa League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, The FA Cup… and a tonne of other leagues/matches from around the world.

Fubo.TV also includes comprehensive coverage of Rugby; NBA; NHL; MLB; Tennis; Golf; Cycling; Racing; MMA and a lot more.

Read next: How to watch BT Sport abroad.