X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Copa Del Rey Soccer Livestream: How to Watch Real Madrid vs. Celta Vigo From Anywhere

Los Blancos look to bounce back from a Supercup final humiliation.

Headshot of Kevin Lynch
Headshot of Kevin Lynch
Kevin Lynch Contributor
Kevin Lynch is a London-born, Dublin-based writer and journalist. The author of Steve Jobs: A Biographic Portrait, Kevin is a regular feature writer for a number of tech sites and the former Technology Editor for the Daily Mirror. He has also served as editor of GuinnessWorldRecords.com and has been a member of the judging panel for the BAFTA British Academy Video Game Awards.
Kevin Lynch
4 min read
See at ESPN
espn-plus-logo-2022-276
Watch Copa Del Rey soccer in the US from $11 a month
ESPN Plus
See at ExpressVPN
Express VPN on a phone
Best VPN for streaming
ExpressVPN
61% off with 2yr plan (+4 free months)

Real Madrid will attempt to pick themselves up following their Supercup final disaster at the weekend, as they host Celta Vigo in this round of 16 clash in the Copa Del Rey. 

Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti will be expecting a positive reaction from his players after they went down 5-2 to eternal rivals Barcelona in Sunday's showpiece Supercup final in Saudi Arabia. 

They now face Galician side Celta, who currently find themselves in 12th position in La Liga. Claudio Giráldez González's men had to battle past second-tier Racing Santander in the last round to reach this stage. 

Real Madrid take on Celta Vigo at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Thursday, Jan. 16. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. CET local time, making it a 3:30 p.m. ET and 12:30 p.m. PT start in the US, a 8:30 p.m. GMT start in the UK and a 7:30 a.m. AEDT Friday kickoff in Australia. 

Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game as it happens, wherever you are in the world.

Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, smiling with his mouth open, looking onwards.

Despite his recent rich vein of form, Jude Bellingham was unable to prevent Real Madrid from crashing to a humbling 5-2 defeat to rivals Barcelona in last Sunday's Supercup final in Jeddah. 

Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

How to watch Real Madrid vs. Celta Vigo in the US without cable

This match is available to stream in the US via ESPN Plus, which has live English and Spanish-language broadcast rights for Spanish Copa Del Rey fixtures in the States. 

ESPN Plus

ESPN's standalone streaming service costs $11 a month or $110 for an annual subscription. Read our ESPN Plus review.

How to watch Copa Del Rey from anywhere with a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view Copa Del Rey matches locally, you may need a different way to watch the games -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. 

With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. 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. You should 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 deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions. 

James Martin/CNET
Price $13 per month, $100 for the first 15 months (then $117 per year) or $140 for the first 28 months (then $150 per year)Latest Tests No DNS leaks detected, 18% speed loss in 2025 testsNetwork 3,000 plus servers in 105 countriesJurisdiction British Virgin Islands

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, but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100 you'll get three months free and save 49%. That's the equivalent of $6.67 a month.

Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

61% off with 2yr plan (+4 free months)

Can I livestream Real Madrid vs. Celta Vigo in the UK?

While Premier Sports and ITV show La Liga matches in the UK, no UK broadcaster currently has live broadcast rights to show Spanish Copa Del Rey matches.   

That also means that if you're in the UK traveling for pleasure or for work, you're unlikely to be able to watch the game like you normally would at home, thanks to geo-blocking. 

There is one option to get around this, however. By using a VPN, as explained above, you can set your location to a country where the match is being broadcast and go from there.

Can I livestream Real Madrid vs. Celta Vigo in Canada?

Like the UK, no Canadian broadcaster will be showing today's game. 

Can I livestream Real Madrid vs. Celta Vigo in Australia?

It's the same story Down Under, with no Austraian broadcaster set to show this cup fixture.

Quick tips for streaming Spanish Copa Del Rey matches using a VPN 

  • With four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming Spanish Copa Del Rey matches 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 an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like 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 site 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 normally recommend Brave.