Leicester City are facing off against Manchester United on Boxing day as both sides continue their season-long push for the Champions League.
This guide will show you how and where to watch one of the most highly anticipated football fixtures of the festive season.
When do Manchester United play Leicester?
Players on both sides likely won't be too pleased with the early kick-off slot on boxing day, but it's the Leicester squad who will have to be up the earliest to make the kick-off at 12:30pm on the 26th December.
How to watch Manchester United vs Leicester using a VPN
- Sign up to one of the VPN services on our list. ExpressVPN is our top pick and is easy to set up.
- Download the VPN software and install it on your device.
- Connect to a VPN server in a country that has subscription services showing Manchester United vs Leicester.
- Subscribe to one of the streaming services listed above.
- Enjoy watching Manchester United vs Leicester!
The Best VPNs for watching Manchester United vs Leicester
Using a VPN will help you unblock Manchester United vs Leicester streams, and here are the best ones to do it:
- ExpressVPN - The best VPN for watching Man Utd vs Leicester, with thousands of servers across the globe and rapid connection speed.
- NordVPN - A large brand offering great value at a cheap price
- Surfshark - The cheapest secure VPN for watching the football. It's loved by its users and has a huge range of security features.
- Private Internet Access - A reliable and widely-used VPN that can unblock an impressive number of websites.
- CyberGhost VPN - An excellent all-rounder for watching football, with servers in all the right places.
When purchasing a VPN, it's important to consider what you'll be using it for. If football is your passion and streaming it your priority, you'll want a VPN with:
- Fast servers for streaming games in HD.
- A global server network with coverage in the right regions (e.g. UK).
- Solid apps on a wide range of platforms.
- The ability to unblock a wide range of sport streaming sites.
Do I need a VPN to watch Manchester United vs Leicester?
BT Sport, the channel showing the game in Britain, is only available to people living in the UK and Ireland – and similarly, over-the-top subscription services like DAZN are only accessible in the countries they service.
Well, unless you have a VPN that is. VPN providers disguise your IP address by sending all your internet traffic through one of their many private servers across the globe, allowing you to access geo-restricted content by pretending to be wherever the given server you are connected to is located.
Nowadays, a good VPN will let you pick which server you'd like your traffic to go through – and if you want to unblock BT Sport from outside the UK and Ireland, for example, you will first need a VPN that has servers in the UK you can connect to. However, VPNs have a multitude of other benefits, including:
- Enhancing your online privacy and security.
- Unblocking Netflix shows unavailable in your country.
- blocking malware and adverts.
- Improved speeds when torrenting.
Money-back guarantees
All the VPNs mentioned in this article provide a money-back guarantee period of 30-45 days. That means the festive football is the perfect time to take a service like ExpressVPN out for a test run!
Where to watch Manchester United vs Leicester
BT Sport Subscriptions
Perhaps the most straightforward way to watch Manchester United vs Leicester is by purchasing a BT monthly pass for £25 (approx. $33 USD).
You can also get BT Sport as part of a Sky package that includes Sky TV and Sky Sports for £52/month (approx $69.85 USD), so if you're planning to watch many more premier league games over the festive season and beyond, this may be the best shout.
If you're an existing Sky or TalkTalk customer, you can add BT Sport to your package for £29.99/month (approx $40 USD).
NOW TV subscriptions
Over-the-top subscription service NOW TV offer viewing packages that include BT Sport.
Their $10 day pass will afford you access to BT Sport 1, 2, 3 and 4, which means you'll be able to stream the Manchester United vs Leicester game.
However, if you want to catch all the festive football available on BT, signing up for their 2 month subscription pass would be a better call. Usually $68, it's recently been slashed in half so you can stream 8 weeks of football for just $34.
DAZN
DAZN is a relatively new over-the-top subscription channel available in Brazil, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, Italy, United States and Japan.
It shows premier league games in these countries, and Manchester United vs Leicester on December 26th is definitely available on DAZN Canada and Japan.
DAZN offers a 30-day free trial period, and then prices start at $20/month going forward. Since December 1, it's also been available in the UK, but they're only showing boxing matches at the moment.
Check out our DAZN VPN article for some tips on using a VPN with the service.
Peacock
NBCUniversal's streaming service is showing 175 out of 380 games of the 2024/21 premier league season, and all 380 on demand.
Although much of the premier league schedule for US TV has yet to be announced, Manchester United vs Leicester will be live on Peacock. It will also be available to watch on demand and in full shortly after the final whistle.
Ad-supported versions of peacock can be purchased for $4.99/month, whereas an ad-free version is on offer for just $9.99/month. Peacock also offers a 7-day free trial on premium purchases, perfect for if it's just the Arsenal vs Chelsea clash you're looking to watch.
Can I watch Manchester United vs Leicester online for free?
For every person watching Manchester United vs Leicester through BT Sport or any other legitimate subscription service, there will be someone trying to stream it illegally through a third-party site.
Remember, highlights of all games that appear on BBC sports are available on the platform's YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
Manchester United vs Leicester: buildup
When Leicester won the premier league back in 2016, few expected them to be bobbing around the upper echelons of the Premier League four years later.
And after narrowly missing out on the Champions League last year, it seems the East Midlands outfit are going about their business this season with a point to prove. The Foxes currently occupy the third Champions League spot, just one point off of leaders Tottenham at the summit.
Manchester United's season, on the other hand, has been a tale of mixed fortunes. Stuck in 8th until very recently, in seasons gone by this would be considered an embarrassment for the world's most well-known football team.
But with the proverbial 'big four' morphing into more of a 'top 6' in recent years, alongside Manchester United's declining influence, and Southampton, West Ham, and Everton all starting brightly this season – you won't find too many fans calling for boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær to go just yet, especially since he's dragged the team into third this week.
Despite their lackluster league form, Solskjær may feel quietly confident about this fixture – the Foxes have a much poorer record against United than many of the other top premier league sides, having only beaten them once in 12 outings in the competition.
A win against Leicester on boxing day would help the Red Devils leapfrog the East Midlanders and they may stay in second place depending on results elsewhere.
Jamie Vardy may have something to say about that though – his 10 goals in 11 premier league games and prior performances against Manchester United suggest we could be in for a high-scoring match.
Conclusion
Whether it's for the entire season, or just the boxing day fixture you can't bear to miss, a VPN will make streaming football faster and easier. If you watch leagues based in other countries other than your own, it's essential.
Here's a reminder of the best VPNs for streaming football:
- ExpressVPN - The best VPN for watching Man Utd vs Leicester, with thousands of servers across the globe and rapid connection speed.
- NordVPN - A large brand offering great value at a cheap price
- Surfshark - The cheapest secure VPN for watching the football. It's loved by its users and has a huge range of security features.
- Private Internet Access - A reliable and widely-used VPN that can unblock an impressive number of websites.
- CyberGhost VPN - An excellent all-rounder for watching football, with servers in all the right places.