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Game week 2 of the Ligue 1 season kicks off with PSG hosting Montpellier at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Friday.
While they may no longer be able to call upon the talents of the now-departed Kylian Mbappe following his summer move to Real Madrid, defending champions PSG looked comfortable as they coasted to a convincing 1-4 away win in their season opener against Le Harve last week.
They now come up against a Montpellier that's widely tipped to be competing at the lower reaches of Ligue 1 this term. Michel Der Zakarian's side got the new campaign underway with a 1-1 draw at home to Strasbourg last weekend, but are set to be without key man Wahbi Khazri for this testing fixture.
PSG plays Montpellier on Friday, Aug. 23 at the Parc des Princes, with kickoff set for 8:45 p.m. CET local time, making it a 7:45 p.m. BST start in the UK, a 2:45 p.m. ET or 11:45 a.m. PT start in the US and Canada, and a 4:45 a.m. AEST kickoff in Australia early Saturday morning.
Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch game lives wherever you are in the world.
South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in opened the scoring for PSG in their 1-4 win over Le Havre last Friday.
Aurelien Meunier/PSG/Getty ImagesHow to watch PSG play Montpellier in the US without cable
Friday's game is live on beIn Sports, which holds broadcast rights for Ligue 1 matches in the US.
There are a number of options for watching beIN. Several cable and satellite TV providers in the US offer the network as part of their channel lineup, including Dish Network, Optimum and Spectrum (the latter requiring $7 per month for the Sports View add-on).
If you're a cord-cutter, there's a whole host of streaming platforms which carry beIN Sports.
With an excellent channel selection, easy-to-use interface and best-in-class cloud DVR, the $73 per month YouTube TV is one of the best cable TV replacements. In order to watch beIN Sports on the platform you'll need its Sports Plus add-on, which costs an additional $11 per month. Read our YouTube TV review.
beIN is available on Sling TV as part of its Sports Extra add-on for either Sling Orange or Sling Blue.
Its Orange and Blue packages start at $40 per month, and you can combine them for a monthly rate of $55 ($60 in some regions), with Sports Extra costing an extra $11 a month. The Orange option nets you one stream, while Blue gives you three. It's not as comprehensive or as easy to navigate as YouTube, but with a bit of work, including adding an antenna or an AirTV 2 DVR, it's unbeatable value. We'll also add that the service offers local channels such as ABC and CBS in some regions where the monthly rate is $45. Read our Sling TV review.
There's a lot to like about Fubo. In addition to beIN Sports, it offers a wide selection of channels, plus its sports focus makes it especially attractive to soccer fans, as well as NBA, NHL and MLB fans who live in an area served by one of Fubo's RSNs. It's also a great choice for NFL fans, since it's one of three services, alongside YouTube TV and Hulu, that offer NFL Network and optional RedZone. As of February 2024, Fubo is charging more for its service and access to Bally Sports RSNs. The biggest hole in Fubo's lineup is the lack of Warner Bros. Discovery networks, including HGTV, Food Network, Cartoon Network, CNN, TNT and TBS -- especially since the latter two carry a lot of sports content, in particular NBA, NHL and MLB. Those missing channels, and the $80 price tag, makes it less attractive than YouTube TV for most viewers. Read our Fubo review.
On top of this, beIN Sports Connect is the network's standalone streaming platform. You can log in with your cable or streaming service credentials if your provider has beIN in the package. This allows you to stream live matches and other programming on various devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.).
Make sure to check if beIN Sports is included in the specific package or plan you are considering, as it might be part of a sports bundle or require an additional subscription.
How to watch Ligue 1 from anywhere with a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view Ligue 1 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.
Latest Tests DNS leaks detected, 25% speed loss in 2024 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 with code SPECIALDEAL, which should be automatically applied.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
As with the US, beIN Sports is where its at for French soccer fans looking to watch this match in Canada, with the network holding the rights to broadcast Ligue 1 matches in the region this season.
beIN Sports is available on select Canadian cable and satellite providers including Bell TV, Rogers and Shaw Direct, while cord-cutters can access beIN through streaming service FuboTV Canada.
Fubo is the go-to destination for Canadians looking to watch the final games of the EPL season, with exclusive streaming rights to every match on Sunday. It costs CA$30 a month, though you can save some cash by paying quarterly or annually.
Can I livestream PSG vs. Montpellier in the UK?
TNT Sports opted not to renew their agreement with Ligue 1 for live broadcasts rights for the 2024-25 season, meaning that there isn't currently a mainstream network broadcasting French top flight football in the UK.
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 PSG vs. Montpellier in Australia?
As with the UK, no mainstream broadcaster currently owns the rights to show Ligue 1 football this season Down Under.
If you subscribe to an overseas streaming service that's showing the game, such as Fubo, a VPN service will allow you to change your online location, allowing you to watch your domestic coverage.
Quick tips for streaming Ligue 1 soccer using a VPN
- With four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming EPL 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.
- And 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.