Last Updated on August 28, 2024

Want to Learn How to Watch Match of the Day Online Abroad using iPlayer?

Most TV shows on the the BBC’s online platform iPlayer are available now for twelve months and sometimes even longer. However the availability of a certain type of show is different due largely to licensing restrictions – I’m talking mainly about football and sports shows.

Can I Watch Match of the Day Live on iPlayer

There’s often completely different rules about how long sporting events can stay on archives like the BBC’s iPlayer or on ITVX. Often the rights are negotiated separately and usually they’re not available for very long! For example the last Rugby World Cup games were all on the ITV online archive only during the tournament but the Six Nations was completely different again. The BBC’s famous football highlights show is different too – so don’t expect Match of the Day and Gary Lineker to be available for long.

It’s important to be aware of these differences especially if you’re trying to watch the match highlights from a different country. Of course, the show is always available live, however the Saturday night show at around 10:30 PM GMT can be quite inconvenient if you’re in a different time zone.

So read on if you want to get both the details of when you can watch and how you can stream MoTD from anywhere in the world too (yes even without a TV license).  It’s not difficult and millions of us have been doing it for years by using simple software called a VPN which can hide our location and IP address.

Many of us invest in a VPN program so we can enjoy sports shows when travelling so it’s important to understand how long they’re available. Some events are only accessible if you watch them live which can be quite difficult if you’re in a different time zone than the UK.

Match of the Day Schedules

The most popular is of course Match of the Day (plus Match of the Day 2) and it’s one of the world’s oldest sports programmes.  For many years you couldn’t watch this programme at all on BBC iPlayer and it was completely excluded from the archive. However this has changed in the last year and now it’s possible to watch lots more football and indeed even enjoy Match of the Day on iPlayer.

Now obviously this is subject to change but here’s the current availability of the Match of the Day repeats.

1. Saturday Editions – Available from midnight on the Sunday evening after they air (i.e. early Monday morning)
2. Sunday Editions – Available from midnight on the Monday evening after they air (i.e. early Tuesday morning).
3. Midweek Editions – Available on from midnight the day after they’re broadcast,
4. Football Focus – Available after midnight on Saturday evening (i.e early hours of Sunday Morning).

They are only available to stream or download to a device until the next episode is broadcast or seven days after the initial broadcast which ever comes first. So you need to be quick to catch the programme sometimes as it’s only available for a day or two at certain times. You can still watch Match of the Day live of course, but the repeats are only available for a short time.

As mentioned above all the broadcasting rights are subject to change and are dependent on the rights agreement with the Premier League in a particular season.

Here’s How to Watch Match of the Day Abroad Using iPlayer ?

Unfortunately as is the case of the rest of BBC iPlayer it is not accessible online from outside the United Kingdom. However you can get access to the Premiership and the best football show on TV from anywhere in the world.

Here’s a brief video explaining how:

NordVPN Discount Page

As you can see it’s a fairly simple process although you do need to invest in a subscription to a VPN service in order to use it. When you connect you should choose a UK server from the list and this is the location the BBC iPlayer will see when you visit the site. This means that instead of getting redirected to the ‘International’ version of the site, you’ll get full access to both Live TV and the complete BBC iPlayer archive including the Match of the Day catch up.

Remember that the above limits on Match of the Day availability still apply even when using the VPN so you’ll have to make sure you watch it soon after broadcast. You can still download the programmes onto different devices using the VPN connection to watch offline but they’ll still expire after seven days too.

Note: Since this video was made the BBC have made it mandatory to register an account. Don’t worry about this, just create an account using your normal email address. There’s no checks as of March 2023, but they will ask you for a postcode – just use any valid UK one and you’ll be fine. The account is just used to keep track of what you’ve watched and your preferences.

How to Watch those MotD Highlights on iPlayer

The example above shows a simple software program to enable the VPN connection however you can also install directly on devices like tablets and Smart phones with NordVPN. It only takes a couple of minutes to install, and it’s worth setting one up to specific countries that you might use.

For football programmes for example there’s some great shows on French, Italian and Spanish TV which are only available in those countries. So you can connect to a Spanish server and watch some great La Liga coverage for instance, even better if you have some Spanish. There’s also some decent Premiership coverage including live games on US TV channels if you use one of the US VPN.

We recommend NordVPN which I have been using it ourselves for about fifteen years now to unlock TV sites like BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world. It’s the perfect program for enabling access to a fast, stable connection to enable Match of the Day on iPlayer streamed direct to your computer, phone or tablet. On a computer or laptop, the software sits in your task bar and you just click to change your location, you can also use your account on other devices as mentioned above, just look for the guides in the members area.

Test it out there’s Money Back Guarantee (which is honored)

NordVPN – BBC iPlayer Abroad

Fun Facts about Match of the Day

It’s the world’s oldest football show, but here’s a few facts that you may not be aware of.

FAQ – Additional Questions

Here’s a few extra questions we’ve received about watching UK football and how to watch Match of the Day online from outside the UK.

Any Other VPNs Work with Match of the Day?

I used for many years a program called Identity Cloaker and still do  now sometimes. It is very reliable and great on a PC or laptop but it doesn’t really have support for a wide range of devices. If you want things like apps for mobiles, browser extensions and support for multiple countries there are better options. There are a few decent VPN services which offer this support but make sure they also work with the BBC iPlayer if you want to enjoy Match of the Day.  It’s why I switched to NordVPN which has support for most devices, works well with the BBC and is very reasonably priced if you get one of the longer deals.

Do I Need a UK TV License Overseas?

You will be asked if you have a UK TV license when you try and watch anything on the BBC even when using a VPN. You must answer Yes or none of the streaming will work. Unfortunately, it impossible to buy a TV license outside the UK so there’s no way of doing it legitimately. There’s no checks on whether you own a license though and the worst that can happen is your BBC account gets blocked. Never happens though in my experience.

What is Match of the Day 2 ?

The main Saturday highlight programme is called Match of the Day and features all the games that day. Match of the Day 2 is a companion show which covers the extra games plus shorter highlights of Saturday’s fixtures. It’s often shown on a Sunday evening or in the week.

How Long is the Match of the Day Stream Available?

The BBC normally allows access to the majority of it’s programmes for a long time after broadcast.   However due to the specific broadcasting rights on Premiership football this doesn’t apply to a Match of the Day stream.  You can watch Match of the Day on the live broadcast and usually for a couple of days afterwards.

What app Can I Watch Match of the Day on?

You need the BBC iPlayer app installed on your device. Make sure you’ve installed a VPN first and make a connection to a UK server before trying to install the application. If you have problems installing the app even with the VPN then just go to the BBC iPlayer website directly.

Do the BBC Broadcast any Football Programmes directly overseas?

No, the BBC only have limited rights to show highlights of the Premier League and only to the domestic market. You can use the VPN to pick up coverage in other countries though, you’ll find many TV stations which show highlights and live streams of Premiership games. Try the Scandinavian countries, Germany and Portugal for a start – just connect to the corresponding country for your VPN connection first.

How Do I Use BBC iPlayer in the US?

Exactly the same way, simply choose a VPN service, install the client software and connect to a UK server. When you’re connected go to the BBC iPlayer site and create an account – you’ll need an email address and a valid UK postcode (anywhere will do). Then just answer YES to the TV license question and you’ll be able to stream any of the live channels and even download to watch offline.

How to Watch Match of the Day in Ireland?

If you’re in Northern Ireland then you’re in luck – you should have unfettered access to all the BBC iPlayer without doing a thing.  If you’re in the Republic of Ireland then you’re outside the UK and you’ll need to hide your IP address.  There was a chance that the BBC would be available throughout the EU as part of a European digital market but My Boris Johnson has ruined that I’m afraid.

Where to Watch Match of the Day Online Free?

If you follow the guidance here and invest in a decent VPN program you can watch it anywhere!  Watch Match of the Day in any country in the world by simply ensuring you’re connected to a UK VPN server before you try and access BBC iPlayer.  Also make sure your VPN supports all your devices and watch on mobiles, laptops and most other devices too.