The worlds oldest club competition is up and running and you can watch the FA Cup all over the planet, with FourFourTwo providing a comprehensive broadcast guide to TV coverage and live streams wherever you are in the world.
FA Cup broadcasters
UK: BBC, TNT Sports / Discovery+
US: ESPN+
Australia: Stan Sport
Watch from anywhere: Try NordVPN 100% risk free
This is always an occasion to be savoured as some of the sides from the lower divisions and even non-League football are pitted against some of the best teams and players in the world.
Unlike most other football competitions, the FA Cup gets some airing on free-to-air television in the UK, although ITV no longer has any rights and the BBC's coverage has diminished as TNT Sports steps in this season as the main broadcaster.
There are plenty of international options, with ESPN in the US and Stan Sport in Australia showing all games from every round of the FA Cup.
Where to watch the FA Cup in the UK
UK broadcast rights for the 2025/2026 FA Cup are split between TNT Sports / Discovery+ and the BBC.
There has been a change for this season, with a vast reduction in the level of free-to-air coverage of the FA Cup in the UK. ITV has left the stage entirely, while the BBC has been limited to 14 games throughout the competition.
That's because the FA Cup has agreed a new commercial deal with the pay-TV broadcaster TNT Sports and its streaming platform, Discovery+.
How to watch the FA Cup in the US
Sports broadcasting giant ESPN is the exclusive US rights-holder for the 2025/2026 FA Cup. Every game from now on is available to stream live through the ESPN+ streaming platform.
Coverage is geo-restricted. If you're not in the States right now, you can still access your ESPN+ subscription by using a VPN such as NordVPN.
How to watch the FA Cup in Australia
The FA Cup has a new home Down Under: Stan Sport, which took over Optus Sport from the start of the 2025/2026 season.
Coverage is geo-restricted. If you're not in Australia right now, you can still access your Stan Sport subscription by using a VPN such as NordVPN.
Watch the FA Cup from anywhere
If youre overseas when the FA Cup is on, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on the action. Geo-restrictions will apply to major broadcasters but there's a simple way around this: a VPN.
A Virtual Private Network - to give it the full name - is a piece of software that sets your IP address to make it look like your device is still back at home. Assuming it complies with your broadcasters T&Cs, you can use a VPN to unblock your streaming services when abroad, and you'll get a host of internet security benefits on top.
There are plenty of good-value options out there, but FourFourTwos brainy office mates TechRadar are big fans of NordVPN.
FA Cup third round fixtures and TV channels
The third round of the FA Cup takes place this weekend with fixtures from Friday January 9 through to Monday January 12. 64 teams are in the competition, and that figure will be cut in half by the end of the 32 ties as we move towards the fourth round draw.
Macclesfield are the lowest-ranked team left in the competition, currently 15th in National League North, the sixth tier of English football, alongside Weston Super Mare who are second in National League South.
Macclesfield host Premier League opposition in Crystal Palace, in one of two matches televised free-to-air by the BBC, while Weston Super Mare travel to Grimsby.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa, the other BBC game, is stand-out all-Premier League clash, alongside Brighton's visit to manager-less Manchester United.
Friday, January 9
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Match | Kick-off time | UK | US | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Milton Keynes Dons vs Oxford United | 19:30 GMT / 14:30 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Port Vale vs Fleetwood Town | 19:30 GMT / 14:30 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Preston North End vs Wigan Athletic | 19:30 GMT / 14:30 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Wrexham vs Nottingham Forest | 19:30 GMT / 14:30 ET | TNT Sports 1 & Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Saturday, January 10
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Match | Kick-off time | UK | US | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cheltenham Town vs Leicester City | 12:15 GMT / 07:15 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Everton vs Sunderland | 12:15 GMT / 07:15 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Macclesfield vs Crystal Palace | 12:15 GMT / 07:15 ET | BBC One & BBC iPlayer (FREE) / TNT Sports 1 & Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Shrewsbury Town | 12:15 GMT / 07:15 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Boreham Wood vs Burton Albion | 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET | N/A | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Burnley vs Milwall | 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET | N/A | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Doncaster Rovers vs Southampton | 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET | N/A | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Fulham vs Middlesborough | 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET | N/A | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Ipswich Town vs Blackpool | 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET | N/A | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Manchester City vs Exeter | 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET | N/A | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Newcastle vs Bournemouth | 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET | N/A | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Salford City vs Swindon Town | 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET | N/A | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Sheffield Wednesday vs Brentford | 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET | N/A | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Stoke City vs Coventry City | 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET | N/A | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Bristol City vs Watford | 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Cambridge United vs Birmingham City | 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa | 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET | BBC One & BBC iPlayer (FREE) / TNT Sports 1 & Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Grimsby Town vs Weston Super Mare | 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Charlton Athletic vs Chelsea | 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET | TNT Sports 1 & Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Sunday, January 11
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Match | Kick-off time | UK | US | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Derby County vs Leeds United | 12:00 GMT / 07:00 ET | TNT Sports 2 & Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Portsmouth vs Arsenal | 14:00 GMT / 09:00 ET | TNT Sports 1 & Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Hull City vs Blackburn Rovers | 14:30 GMT / 09:30 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Norwich City vs Walsall | 14:30 GMT / 09:30 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Sheffield United vs Mansfield Town | 14:30 GMT / 09:30 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Swansea City vs West Bromwich Albion | 14:30 GMT / 09:30 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
West Ham United vs Queens Park Rangers | 14:30 GMT / 09:30 ET | Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion | 16:30 GMT / 11:30 ET | TNT Sports 1 & Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
Monday, January 12
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Match | Kick-off time | UK | US | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Liverpool vs Barnsley | 19:45 GMT / 14:45 ET | TNT Sports 1 & Discovery+ | ESPN Select | Stan Sport |
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