A tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, Celtic and Rangers will butt heads yet again on February 2nd 2024 in what is colloquially known as the Old Firm Derby. There's a variety of channels where you can watch the game, depending on where you are in the world, but there are no official free streams.
The only places you can watch the game without paying for a streaming subscription or cable TV package will be pubs and sports bars, but if you don't want to venture out to one of those this new year, or you're going to be away from home, then we're here to help you find other ways to get your football fix.
How to watch Celtic vs Rangers
Depending on where you live or where you might be in the world on February 2nd 2024, you may not be able to simply turn on your TV or log in to your device and stream the Celtic vs Rangers game. Luckily, nowadays, there are so many excellent VPNs that are perfectly capable of unblocking even the most exclusive content, including The Ashes, from any part of the world and at an affordable price.
So, here's how you can watch one of football's most enduring rivalries in only five quick steps:
- Sign upto one of the VPN that are proven to unblock the services listed above. We've curated a list of the best providers for the job, and you can put them all to the test, risk-free, thanks to their money-back guarantees!
- Download and install the VPN software on your device. You can get this from the provider's website, and installation should be quick and painless.
- Connect to a VPN server in a country that has subscription services showing Premier League matches.
- Log in/Create an account with one of the streaming services listed above.
- Enjoy the game!
Where to watch the Old Firm Derby
Celtic will host Rangers at the stadium in Parkhead on Sunday February 2, with a kickoff time of 12pm (UK time). There are several different broadcasters showing Premier League matches depending on where in the world you are.
- UK - Sky Sports will show around 140 live Premier League games, BT Sport will show around a third as many, and Amazon Prime is set to get in on the action and broadcast a few of its own.
- USA - NBC's streaming service "Peacock" has the rights to show the Premier League, replacing NBC Sports Gold as the go-to for live football.
- Canada - Here it's DAZN that holds the rights to show every single game live. As with Spark Sport they also offer a 1-month free trial!
- Australia - Optus Sport is in the 2nd year of a 3-year contract to show every match live for those folks in the Down Under.
- New Zealand - Spark Sport has the rights to show the Premier League here, and it even has a 1-month free trial for you to check it out.
- India - In India you'll need to sign up for Star Sports, or pick them up as part of a Disney+/Hotstar Premium subscription.
Why do I need a VPN to watch Celtic vs Rangers?
A lot of the channels showing this match are region locked to specific countries. Sky Sports is only available in the UK, ESPN is only available in the US (unless you pay your local satellite/cable TV provider an additional fee), beIN is only available in New Zealand, and so on.
However, by using a VPN, you can access content normally unavailable in your specific country. A VPN accomplishes this by sending your internet traffic through one of their servers located around the globe, changing your IP address and making it appear to come from a different country. This essentially lets you pretend to be in any country around the world where that VPN provider has servers, which means you will be able to access geo-restricted content.
So if you want to access Sky Sports from outside the UK, 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 uses beyond unlocking sporting content, including:
- Enhancing your online privacy and security
- Accessing Netflix/Amazon shows unavailable in your country
- Removing adverts and protecting you from malware
- Improved speeds when torrenting
The best VPNs to watch Celtic vs Rangers
Using a VPN will help you unblock providers in other countries, or just when you're away from home and don't want to miss the game. The VPNs in this list are the best ones not only for unblocking Celtic vs Rangers but other sports, movies and TV as well -
Can I watch Celtic vs Rangers for free?
While there are some sites that re-stream Premier League content, it usually means that they haven't paid for a license to do so, making what they're doing illegal.
Delays of several minutes aren't uncommon, either. These sites are frequently hosted in countries with lax controls over copyright, so if you're trying to watch the game in real time, you may end up seeing the results on social media or through enthusiastic friends before they appear on your screen. As well as possibly having the match spoiled, the key problems with illegal streams are:
- The sites claiming to show the games are often infested with viruses and other malware
- They often suffer from extreme lag/video buffering
- Picture quality can be poor
- You increase your risk of being hacked/having your identity stolen
So even if it's just a small amount, paying a legitimate provider for access to the Celtic vs Rangers game, or any other game for that matter, is your path to a better and safer viewing experience.
Final Whistle
Whatever it is you're looking to watch, a VPN is essential for keeping you safe online and unlocking content from other content libraries in other countries. Before you go, here's a reminder of our top choices: