Why? Because it’s when all the Premier League and Championship teams join the competition. That brings up the possibility of some major giant-killings, but also a feast of football, with 32 games taking place between Friday and Monday. The good news is that every single one is being broadcast live in the US. UK viewers have less action to choose from, but there are still nine live fixtures. Here’s everything you need to know, including if you’re based outside these two countries.
FA Cup third round fixtures
Here are all the games to look forward to. Plenty of Premier League and Championship sides are playing against lower league opposition:
Fri 6 Jan
Man Utd vs Everton – KO 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm GMT – ESPN+/ITV
Sat 7 Jan
Reading vs Watford – KO 4.30am PT/7.30am ET/12.30pm GMT – ESPN+Tottenham vs Portsmouth – KO 4.30am PT/7.30am ET/12.30pm GMT – ESPN+/BBCCrystal Palace vs Southampton – KO 4.30am PT/7.30am ET/12.30pm GMT – ESPN+Preston vs Huddersfield – KO 4.30am PT/7.30am ET/12.30pm GMT – ESPN+Gillingham vs Leicester – KO 4.30am PT/7.30am ET/12.30pm GMT – ESPN+/BBCForest Green vs Birmingham – KO 4.30am PT/7.30am ET/12.30pm GMT – ESPN+Millwall vs Sheffield United – KO 7am PT/10am ET/3pm GMT – ESPN+Hull vs Fulham – KO 7am PT/10am ET/3pm GMT – ESPN+Bournemouth vs Burnley – KO 7am PT/10am ET/3pm GMT – ESPN+Blackpool vs Nottingham Forest – KO 7am PT/10am ET/3pm GMT – ESPN+Ipswich vs Rotherham – KO 7am PT/10am ET/3pm GMT – ESPN+Middlesbrough vs Brighton – KO 7am PT/10am ET/3pm GMT – ESPN+Fleetwood vs QPR – KO 7am PT/10am ET/3pm GMT – ESPN+Chesterfield vs West Brom – KO 7am PT/10am ET/3pm GMT – ESPN+Shrewsbury vs Sunderland – KO 7am PT/10am ET/3pm GMT – ESPN+Boreham Wood vs Accrington – KO 7am PT/10am ET/3pm GMT – ESPN+Luton vs Wigan – KO 9.30am PT/12.30pm ET/5.30pm GMT – ESPN+Brentford vs West Ham – KO 9.30am PT/12.30pm ET/5.30pm GMT – ESPN+Grimsby vs Burton – KO 9.30am PT/12.30pm ET/5.30pm GMT – ESPN+Sheffield Wednesday vs Newcastle – KO 10am PT/1pm ET/6pm GMT – ESPN+/BBCLiverpool vs Wolves – KO 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm GMT – ESPN+/ITV4
Sun 8 Jan
Bristol City vs Swansea – KO 4.30am PT/7.30am ET/12.30pm GMT – ESPN+Derby vs Barnsley – KO 4.30am PT/7.30am ET/12.30pm GMT – ESPN+Norwich vs Blackburn – KO 6am PT/9am ET/2pm GMT – ESPN+Cardiff vs Leeds – KO 6am PT/9am ET/2pm GMT – ESPN+/ITVHartlepool vs Stoke – KO 6am PT/9am ET/2pm GMT – ESPN+Stockport vs Walsall – KO 6am PT/9am ET/2pm GMT – ESPN+Man City vs Chelsea – KO 8.30am PT/11.30am ET/4.30pm GMT – ESPN+/BBCAston Villa vs Stevenage – KO 8.30am PT/11.30am ET/4.30pm GMT – ESPN+/BBC
Mon 9 Jan
Oxford vs Arsenal – KO 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm GMT – ESPN+/ITV
How to watch the FA Cup in the US
In the US, the FA Cup is exclusive to ESPN. That means you’ll have to pay for full access, although some matches are also broadcast on the free-to-air ESPN channel. But unlike the UK, a subscription means you can watch every single match live. It costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, but lots of other live sport is included in the price. 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 in the UK
The FA Cup is exclusively broadcast on free-to-air channels in the UK, with TV rights split between the BBC and ITV. Each broadcaster shares the top picks of matches until the semi-final, but both will be showing the final on 3 June 2023. Both 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 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. A particularly good option is NordVPN (available here). Just install it on your computer, phone or tablet and connect to a US or UK server, then you’ll be good to go. For some other great VPNs, check our our best VPN chart. Want more football? Here’s how to watch the Premier League, Champions League and Europa League live. 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.
