The “Home of Football” hosts European soccer’s most prestigious showpiece event on Saturday, as Borussia Dortmund take on Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium in London.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti guided a team laden with talent, young and old, past tournament favorites Man City in the quarterfinals and German giants Bayern Munich in the semis. He will be confident of securing a record-extending 15th European Cup for Los Blancos.
Dortmund are appearing in their third final in this competition. Coach Edin Terzić will be desperate for his side to bury the ghosts of their last trip to Wembley — they lost the 2012-13 UCL final to Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich at England’s iconic national stadium.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services for watching every game wherever you are in the world.
It’s 11 years since the Champions League final was held at Wembley Stadium, a match that saw this Saturday’s finalists Borussia Dortmund lose to German rivals Bayern Munich.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid: When and where?
This year’s UEFA Champions League final sees Real Madrid take on Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday, June 1. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. BST local time in England, which is 3 p.m. ET or 12 p.m. PT in the US and Canada, 9 p.m. CET in Europe and 5 a.m. AEST on Sunday, June 2 in Australia.
How to watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid online from anywhere using a VPN
If you’re unable to view Champions League matches locally, you may need a different way to watch the action; that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN can stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you want an extra layer of privacy for your devices and log-ins while traveling and using various Wi-Fi networks.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to access the game. If your internet provider or mobile carrier assigns an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can fix that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, nonblackout area. 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. 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 suspects is circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the great VPN deals taking place right now.
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 a month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 35% — the equivalent of $8.32 a month — if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Livestream Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid in the US for free
American soccer fans can stream this season’s tournament via linear channel CBS, which has exclusive live English-language broadcast rights in the US for UEFA Champions League matches.
If you live in the US in an area with good reception, you can watch the broadcast on CBS for free over the air just by attaching an affordable (under $30) indoor antenna to nearly any TV. You can also watch a Spanish-language broadcast on Univision.
Alternatively, you’ll also be able to stream the game live via Paramount Plus.
Paramount Plus has two main subscription plans in the US: Essential for $6 a month and Premium for $12 a month. Both offer coverage of the Champions League final.
The cheaper Essential option has ads for on-demand streaming. It also lacks live CBS feeds and the ability to download shows to watch offline later. Newcomers can take advantage of a 30-day free trial, while students may qualify for a 25% discount. Black Friday savings are also still available, though we don’t know how long for.
Read our Paramount Plus review.
Four of the five US-based live TV streaming services also carry CBS — all but Sling TV. Keep in mind, however, that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries CBS in your area.
YouTube TV costs $73 a month and includes CBS. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area. To watch the game in 4K resolution, you’ll need the 4K Plus add-on. It costs $10 a month, and there’s a free, 30-day trial.
Hulu Plus Live TV costs $77 a month and includes CBS in most markets. On its live news page, you can enter your ZIP code under the “Can I watch local news in my area?” question at the bottom of the page to see which local channels you get.
Read our Hulu with Live TV review.
Fubo’s basic Pro plan costs $80 a month and includes CBS. Click here to see which local channels you get. To watch in 4K, you’ll need to upgrade to the $90-a-month Elite plan.
Livestream Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid in the UK
Broadcast rights for the Champions League final in the UK are held by TNT Sport. However, this being the final, TNT is allowing nonsubscribers in the region to catch all the action for free online via the Discovery Plus app and website. You’ll just need to sign up for an account.
For current subscribers, this game is set to be broadcast on TNT Sport 1 and TNT Sport Ultimate 4K channels in ultra HD. If you already have TNT Sport as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via the TNT Sport or Discovery Plus app app.
TNT Sports is offering the Champions League exclusively live this season to viewers in the UK. You can access TNT Sports in exactly the same way as its predecessor BT Sport, including via Sky Q as a TV package, as well as the option of streaming online. It costs £30 either way and comes in a package that includes Discovery Plus’ library of documentary content.
Livestream Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid in Canada
If you want to stream UCL games live in Canada, subscribe to DAZN Canada. The service has exclusive broadcast rights to the Champions League this season.
A DAZN subscription costs CA$30 a month or CA$200 a year. It will also give you access to Europa League and EFL Championship soccer, Six Nations rugby and WTA tennis.
As well as dedicated apps for iOS and Android, there’s a wide range of support for set-top boxes and smart TVs.
Livestream Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch UCL matches on streaming service Stan Sport, which has exclusive rights to show the Champions League live in Australia this season.
Stan Sport will set you back AU$10 a month (on top of a AU$10 Stan subscription), but the streaming service is currently offering a seven-day free trial.
A subscription will also give you access to Europa League and Europa Conference League action, as well as international rugby and Formula E.
Quick tips for streaming UEFA Champions League matches using a VPN
- With four variables at play (your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN), your experience and success when streaming Champions League games may vary.
- If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
- If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs including Roku don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main sites for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- Remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We recommend Brave.
