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Originally Posted On: https://www.alwaysvpn.com/guides/securely-access-football-live-streams

Hunting for the best football streaming sites can be a troublesome task. ISPs often block or restrict streaming sites, and some sites expose users to malware and other malicious code. When watching live sports, it’s crucial to utilize a streaming VPN to access restricted media, engage malware protection, and block ads.

Premium Sports Streaming Sites

In terms of paid streaming sites, there are tons that offer good options. Unfortunately, these sites regularly enforce geo-restrictions, leaving users empty-handed when wanting to watch matches abroad. These streaming services provide varying access in terms of coverage, so be sure to look through our breakdown below to find desired leagues and matches. We list the best options below.

ESPN+ provides a wide range of coverage, featuring leagues across the globe. Available leagues include Bundesliga, Serie A, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, League One, FA Cup, League Cup, Coppa Italia, and many more leagues across the globe. Notably, the English Premier League (EPL) and UEFA Champions League are absent.

As one of the largest sports streaming services, fuboTV offers extensive football coverage. The major channels include NBCSN, NBC, FS1, FS2, Fox Soccer Plus, Fox, beIn Sports, beIN SPORTS en Espanol, beIN SPORTS Connect, TNT, TyC Sports, Univision, Chelsea TV, and more.

With this wide array of channels, almost any league can be found. Leagues covered by fuboTV include but are not limited to EPL, LaLiga, Liga MX, World Cup, MLS, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Primeira Liga, Ligue Un, NWSL, Bundesliga, Copa Libertadores, UEFA Nations League, Euro qualifiers, African Champions League, and the Africa Cup of Nations.

If you’re looking for exclusive UEFA coverage, Paramount+ is the preeminent option. All UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League games can be found here. Also included are Concacaf and Serie A matches, amongst some smaller leagues.

Peacock Premium focuses solely on the EPL. With exclusive rights to the EPL, Peacock Premium shows all 175 league games. For total coverage of the EPL, Peacock Premium is the best choice.

YouTube TV offers a custom streaming experience, allowing users to add extra channels to the base YouTube TV subscription. Fox Soccer Plus, the EPL, FS1, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS XTRA, and GOL TV can all be found on YouTube TV. However, some beIN SPORTS channels are not available, with beIN SPORTS en Español and beIN SPORTS Connect being excluded, which excludes some Spanish, Latin American, and out-of-market matches.

It is important to note that each channel added to the base YouTube TV subscription will increase the overall subscription cost by $15 per month.

For a concentrated list of big-name sports streamers, Hulu + Live TV offers access to NBSN, TNT, Fox Sports, Fox Deportes, and ESPN Channels. With that coverage, the EPL, MLS, and UEFA Champions League will all be streamable, amongst some smaller leagues.

When Orange and Blue streaming plans are combined, Sling TV gives users access to beIN Sports, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TNT, and more. This provides coverage of the EPL, LaLiga, Ligue 1, and MLS, along with a slew of Latin American leagues.

Recently, Amazon Prime Video has started covering the EPL, albeit in a somewhat limited fashion. Amazon Prime Video will feature 20 live EPL matches per season.

DAZN, another relatively new streaming provider, offers an assortment of popular leagues with a caveat. The provider has very limited reach in North America, with no matches available in the US and a select few in Canada. However, when the user is located in Europe, such leagues as the UEFA Champions League, LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue Un, Bundesliga, and CONMEBOL can be accessed.

For Latin American leagues, Fanatiz is a great option. Coverage extends across the region, with Argentinian, Chilean, Mexican, and Peruvian leagues. In the US, LaLiga, Ligue 1, Copa Libertadores, Premeira Liga, and more can also be accessed.

Free Sports Streaming Sites

While paid streaming platforms feature high-quality content, many major leagues are hosted somewhat exclusively on specific platforms. This forces users into multiple subscription purchases, leading to burgeoning subscription costs.

Granted, ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, and Facebook Watch host free streams occasionally. However, stream availability is limited and can’t be relied on for regular league matches. Because of this, many turn to free stream sites, which host a massive variety of sports streams at no cost to the user.

Almost any major league can be found on each of these sites, with many more sites available as well. However, ISPs commonly restrict or block football streaming sites leaving users without a solid cost-conscious option to stream sports.

Best VPNs for Streaming Sports

While some may opt for proxies or free VPNs to bypass restrictions, these techniques are often blocked by streaming platforms. Premium VPNs are the most effective way to circumvent blocks and restrictions. They allow the user to unlock content and remain anonymous by spoofing their IP address, safely accessing both paid and free streaming sites.

Staying Secure While Streaming

Though free sports streaming sites may seem like a great cost-cutting option, they are not without their risks. It’s guaranteed that these sites have pop-up ads, and malware can be injected by third-party streaming links that aggregate sites like First Row Sports host.

While cybercrime is becoming more frequent, it’s unlikely that just visiting live streaming sites and engaging with the content will result in a malware attack. Technically speaking, you must download something for malware to be obtained. To circumvent this, most modern operating systems and browsers have built-in security measures to mitigate this.

Although there are many built-in security measures, this doesn’t guarantee user safety while browsing. Even with this protection, it’s never wise to click on intrusive ads or any other suspicious links within streaming pages.

Malicious files or code can infect computers with something as innocuous as a pop-up or a “take me there” link. Additionally, before visiting a site, performing a quick search can yield some valuable red flags about the site in question.

However, through the use of a VPN optimized for streaming much of this can be avoided. A streaming VPN is specifically designed to keep users safe from attacks while browsing, with malware protection and ad-blocking software built-in.

Final Thoughts

Sports streaming services are here to stay, and their popularity is only growing, so taking steps to optimize the streaming experience is essential. Whether paying for a streaming service or visiting a free streaming site, using a streaming VPN is a must. A VPN service will allow users to access previously inaccessible content, shield data from malicious actors, and obscure your IP address for an optimal streaming experience.