The new Premier League season is nearly upon us. The world's most-watched football league returns to our screens on the weekend of August 11, just two weeks' time. Before the league gets started though, there is the small matter of the pre-season showpiece match to determine who wins this year's Community Shield. Manchester City and Arsenal will duke it out on August 6 at Wembley Stadium to see who takes the honors home this year.
TL;DR - The FA Community Shield will be shown for free on ITVX in the UK (August 6 at 4 PM BST). Anyone outside the UK with a VPN like ExpressVPN can connect to a UK server and watch the game on ITVX for free as well. The game will also be shown on ESPN+ in the US.
When is the FA Community Shield?
The 2023 Community Shield kicks off at 4 PM BST on August 6, which is 10 AM ET / 8 AM PT. If you're not super familiar with English football and all the various competitions, you might be wondering what the hell a Community Shield is. Put simply, the Community Shield is what's known in the soccer world as a 'super cup'. A one-off pre-season showpiece game between the winner of a country's league title and leading domestic trophy respectively.
In England, the Community Shield is contested between the winners of last year's Premier League and FA Cup. If the team that won the league also won the FA Cup, as City did with their historic Treble last year, then the 2nd place team in the league will step up to contest the Community Shield, which is why Arsenal find themselves taking part this year.
While it's seen as something of a nothing game, it is still technically a trophy to go in the cabinet for the team that wins. It doesn't tend to mean much to the bigger teams, but try telling recently relegated Leicester that their Community Shield win in 2021 meant nothing. Plus, it's a great opportunity to see how each team might line up throughout the rest of the Premier League 2023 season.
How to Watch the Community Shield in the US
Watching English football (or soccer) in the United States can be a bit tricky. Without paying for cable or an expensive sports package like ESPN+, it can be difficult to watch our favorite teams on the other side of the pond. Luckily for you, there is a way around this. Keep reading for the ultimate guide on by-passing pesky geo-restrictions.
Watch the Community Shield on ESPN+
Coverage of the Community Shield be available on ESPN+ for subscribers. You can sign up for a membership below, opting for ESPN+ by itself or as part of the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundled deal.
Watch the Community Shield Using a VPN
The Community Shield is being broadcast in the UK by the broadcaster ITV. ITV is a public access broadcaster in the UK and as such, can be viewed for free, if you know how. All you need to do is follow a few simple steps to be able to watch the first competitive match of the year on the English soccer calender.
Here's how to do it:
- Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN, like ExpressVPN
- Download the app on your preferred device (compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more).
- Open the app and connect to any server in the United Kingdom
- Sign-up for ITVX (the service is free, don't worry)
- Clear your cache if you encounter any issues
- Enjoy the game
Editor's Note: You'll need a UK postcode to sign up for ITVX, but it isn't checked, so you can use any random location such as 10 Downing Street's SW1A 2AA.
Which VPN is Best?
Premium VPNs aren't cheap, but they could be worth the investment if you haven't already secured yourself one this year. You might take one look at their price tag for a year's subscription and think it's too much, but consider how much you get from them.
You can unlock geo-restricted content from anywhere in the world (such as Japanese Netflix, the Women's World Cup or the Love Island UK final), and enjoy a whole new world of movies and TV-shows without having to pay extra for them.
Events like the Champions League final, FA Cup final, Europa League final, and Europa Conference League final are all also broadcast in the UK for free. You'll end up using your VPN more than you'd think, and making your money back even faster.
They are also incredibly useful beyond just bypassing geoblocking. They're great for avoiding server issues on games or restrictive skill-based-matchmaking (SBMM), online data encryption, shielding your identity, lightning-quick connectivity, and ensuring access to otherwise restricted sites. It's a seriously good investment.
One of the very best VPN deals going right now is for ExpressVPN. They've currently got a great deal on. Sign up today and you'll get yourself 49% off their 1-year deal. You'll also be getting an additional 3-months free. So at the equivalent of $6.67 per month, you're getting 15-months of coverage under one of the best VPNs available at the moment.
Subscribers also get a generous 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can watch the Community Shield on ITVx, and then end your subscription and get your money back, no questions asked.
