Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream: How to watch FA Cup third round game for free online
Carabao Cup semi-finalists meet Champions League chasers
The Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream is a meeting between a Carabao Cup semi-finalist and a team on track for Champions League qualification — and you can watch it for FREE from anywhere with a VPN.
The Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream takes place on Saturday, January 6.
► Time: 5:30 p.m. GMT / 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT / 4:30 a.m. AEDT (Jan. 7)
• U.S. — Watch on ESPN Plus
• U.K. — Watch FREE on BBC and BBC iPlayer
• Watch anywhere — try ExpressVPN 100% risk free
Middlesbrough’s midtable position in the Championship table is a little deceptive. Boro are just four points off the play-off places and will be aiming for a promotion push in the second half of the season. They also have a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Premier League Chelsea to look forward to this month. Which could mean that this FA Cup third-round clash with Aston Villa is viewed as more of a distraction than an opportunity for glory.
Aston Villa also have their eyes on a bigger prize than the FA Cup this season. Villa are in a commanding position in the fiercely contested battle for an EPL top-four spot and qualification to the Champions League. However, Unai Emery would undoubtedly love to collect some silverware in his first full season as manager of the historic club, so Aston Villa certainly won’t be writing off the FA Cup as a low-priority competition.
These sides last met in March 2019 when both were playing in the Championship. On that day Aston Villa came away comfortable 3-0 victors. To see how his first meeting in nearly five years plays out, don’t miss a Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream.
How to watch the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream for FREE
If you live in the U.K. then you can enjoy every single minute of this FA Cup third-round game without spending a penny. That's because the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa will be broadcast and streamed for FREE.
The full game will be televised via the BBC with an online stream available on BBC iPlayer so you can watch every single dramatic moment without needing a streaming service subscription or having to pay a box office fee.
But what if you're usually based in the U.K. but aren't at home for the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream? Perhaps, you're on holiday and don't want to spend money on a paid streaming service in a foreign country when you'd usually be able to watch for free at home.
Don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead, and we'll show you how to do that below. Our favorite VPN service right now is ExpressVPN, but you'll find others in our best VPN services list
Speed, security and simplicity combine to make ExpressVPN our favorite VPN service. In our testing, we were impressed by its fast connection times and by its ability to access more than 3,000 services in 160 locations across 94 countries. A 30-day money-back guarantee is another bonus.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're in the U.K. and want to view a U.S. service, you'd select U.S. from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to ESPN Plus or another service and watch the game.
How to watch the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream in the U.S.
Viewers in the U.S. can watch the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream on ESPN Plus which can be easily accessed on many devices via the EPSN app.
While an ESPN Plus subscription does not give you access to regular ESPN content, it will grant you access to thousands of live events, original shows and series that can't be found anywhere else (not even on the standard ESPN service). ESPN+ is available for $10.99 a month or $109.99 a year.
Even better ESPN Plus is available in a bundle with both Hulu and Disney Plus for $24.99 a month. That gets you all of the ESPN Plus events, top Hulu shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, as well as the Disney Star Wars and Marvel libraries.
If you already use ESPN Plus but aren't in the U.S. right now, you can watch the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream by using a VPN such as ExpressVPN.
How to watch the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream in the U.K.?
Football fans in the U.K. will have a choice of where to watch the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream as the game will be broadcast on BBC One or you can stream it online via BBC iPlayer. You will need a valid U.K. TV license to watch the game on TV or via online streaming.
If you're not currently in the U.K. and have a valid TV license, you can still watch a Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN.
How to watch the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream in Canada
Canadians can watch the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream on Sportsnet which has exclusive rights to the FA Cup in Canada.
To watch the FA Cup on Sportsnet and its streaming service SN Now, you will need a Sportsnet premium subscription. This requires a monthly subscription of $34.99 but comes with access to a whole host of other sports from across the world. There is also an annual subscription that works out at around $20.99 a month.
If you live in Canada and already subscribe to Sportsnet, but aren't at home right now, you can still watch a Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream by using a quality VPN like ExpressVPN.
How to watch the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream in Australia
Aussie soccer fans can watch the entire FA Cup live on Paramount Plus including the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream. The streaming service is AU$9.99 and also has a plethora of other content such as MTV and Nickelodeon.
Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN to watch all the action on Paramount Plus as if you were back home. ExpressVPN is out top pick of the options out there.
How to watch the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream in New Zealand
Kiwis can access the Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa live stream via Sky Sport Now. This costs $24.99/week, $44.99/month or $449.99/year.
Not at home in New Zealand right now? You can still follow every game by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN.
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Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.