Match of the Day Watch Online Free – Guide for Expats and Travellers

There aren’t that many drawbacks to having a job where you get lots of foreign travel, but there are definitely some. Ask anyone who travels a lot for their work and they’ll almost certainly tell you it’s not as fabulous as it may sounds. Many years ago I had a job where I travelled ridiculous amounts over the period of two years, in fact I was rarely on the same continent for longer than a month at a time. It sounded brilliant, Australia, Switzerland, Austria, Mexico and so on, but in truth I rarely got to see much more than different airports, a variety of industrial estates and a selection of chain hotels. Travel is great of course, but unfortunately when it’s made during work hours it can be a bit disappointing.

However the main drawback for me, was I lost touch with my beloved British football teams. I support two teams, one glamour club in the overpriced Premiership and my home town which languishes in the lower leagues and is likely to do so for some time! The Premiership is of course so popular that it’s not too hard to keep track of and most countries relay the major matches on some sports channel or other. Finding somewhere to listen to commentaries on conference fixtures is some what more challenging when you’re the other side of the planet. This is despite almost every football match being covered somewhere in the UK and indeed broadcast online.

The Best Football Highlights Show of the Premiership

The problem is that although you think that stuff on the internet is globally accessible, the reality is somewhat different. Local radio on the BBC covers most conference matches, and of course the BBC also has the best one –  a wonderful show called Match of the Day which covers the Premiership highlights. Unfortunately, none of them are accessible the moment you step outside the UK, there is a big digital wall in front of all these shows.

How to Watch Match of the Day Online Free Abroad

Of course, the internet is also full of workarounds, fixes and sneaky back doors and there’s a couple that allow you to access the BBC abroad too. Here’s how to watch Match of the Day online abroad in this video –

Check out Nord VPN here

Now it might seem rather unimportant, but believe me when you’re stuck in a chain hotel on an industrial estate thousands of miles from home on a Saturday night where you don’t know a soul watching Match of the Day online through the hotel’s Wifi is something of a life saver. Yes even the voice of Gary Lineker can sound pretty good when you’re stuck in that hotel room on your own for the 5th evening in a row!

Watch Match of the Day Live Stream or on Catch Up

As you can see from the video it’s not actually that difficult to do either, the client software sits in your task bar and you can use it to connect to servers in a variety of different countries. This is important as to access country restricted websites you need to connect through a server in that country. So for example you’ll need to choose a UK server to access the BBC’s local radio football coverage and of course Match of the Day online.

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Quick FAQ for How to Watch Match of the Day abroad online using a VPN

• You’re using the VPN service to change your IP address to a UK one.
• BBC servers will not see your real address and will therefore everything will work
• All the other UK TV channels will work too.
• No it’s not illegal you’re not robbing a bank!
• Yes it is technically against the BBC’s Terms of Service, so you are breaking these.
• Do you Need a TV license? Well if you’re watching abroad it’s not relevant as you shouldn’t watch even if you have one.
• Yes channels like Sky Go and Now TV will work with the VPN but you still need a valid subscription.
• How many people do this? Literally millions all over the world.
• BBC and ITV need accounts is this a problem? No it’s just to keep track of your preferences, just create one and use a valid UK postcode.
• Can I watch all the old Match of the Day shows? Unfortunately they only keep them until the next broadcast, so you need to watch MoTD live or soon after or download it.

Watch Every Game of the Season Easily (Including Match of the Day 2)

Using software to create the VPN connection means it’s very simple to use, basically you just select a UK server when you want access to the BBC live stream.  When you connect to the servers, the software creates something called a virtual private network which is effectively an encrypted connection between your computer (laptop/phone or tablet)and the secure server. This server then relays the request to access to the web site in question, so the request comes to the BBC’s web server from the UK.  That’s it you’re then able to stream MOTD from anywhere in the world.

If you switch country then you can access content only available in that country, for example you can access ABC, NBC or Hulu by using a US server and so on.

There are of course lots of VPN programs available, but this is our recommendation as it’s super fast, very secure and works every time. Try a shorter subscription first although they do have a money back guarantee period which they do honour. Remember to contact them with any questions, the chat support is the easiest and watch a few shows to try it out first.

Click and Watch Match of the Day Anywhere

Click and Watch Match of the Day Anywhere

Additional Questions – BBC iPlayer Access

Many people worry that you can no longer watch the BBC abroad in 2022. There’s many rumours and posts suggesting that this method doesn’t work anymore. Here’s a few of the common problems and questions people have. If you have other questions post a comment and I’ll try and answer them,

Do You Need a UK TV License?

Although it’s true that you will be asked if you have a UK TV license before streaming starts, there’s no reason to worry. If you answer yes to the question then everything will work fine. There’s no check or validation required beyond this, so it’s not a problem if you don’t have one. Of course most people travelling and many expats will already have a UK TV license so they can answer ‘yes’ legitimately! Most of course don’t and you’ll have to fib a little like the millions who watch UK TV from France, Spain and the rest of the world !

How DO I Get a BBC User Account

The BBC is now enforcing the requirement that every user has a BBC user account. So if you haven’t already got one then you’ll need to create one. Don’t worry though it’s not difficult. You will have to enable your VPN and connect to a UK server first and then go to the BBC registration page here – https://account.bbc.com/register . Here you will be asked for a username, an email address and your age.

You will also be asked to verify your location by inputting a postcode. Again it’s quite simple you just need to input ANY VALID UK Postcode. There’s no check beyond this, and most UK expats pick their old postcode ! Or  you can copy any postcode from online here or pick one from a random address in the UK. Just remember that it will customise the account to match the location you pick, although you can change this later.

Do I Have to Watch Match of the Day Stream Live ?

Most programmes on the BBC iPlayer are available for 12 months after on demand. Unfortunately Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2 are not available for long after wards.  It’s therefore harder to stream MotD if you don’t catch it live.  The rules change depending on the license the BBC negotiates with the English FA. Normally though you can only watch for a few days and then it will disappear from the archive. What’s more there is also a delay so you can’t watch straight away. It’s safer to watch live if possible depending on your time zone.

Can I Watch Match of the Day Free Online?

Unfortunately the BBC iPlayer is no longer accessible from free proxies and VPNs.  The IP addresses of these free servers are all on blacklists which get them blocked automatically.  You can use the money back guarantees on most premium VPNs if you want to watch once.  One company offers a free trial of their proxy/VPN service which you can try for 14 days here.  The best VPN services though are not that expensive and give you reliable and safe way to access MotD online.