El Clasico is one of the biggest football matches of the season. The face-off between Real Madrid and Barcelona usually airs on Sky in the UK, but this year, that’s not the case. The blackout is due to the rule that forbids TV broadcasts of matches that kick off at 3 p.m.
We’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll explain how to live stream El Clasico from the UK or elsewhere using Fubo.tv. The match starts on May 5, 2018, at 2:45 p.m. (GMT +0). This method will work from wherever you are in the world.
How to stream El Clasico on Fubo.tv from the UK or elsewhere
Fubo.tv is a legal live streaming subscription service based in the United States. It mainly focuses on clubs and matches taking place in Latin America, but it also broadcasts several big international matches online. Real Madrid v. Barcelona will be streamed directly from beIN Sports, which is available through fuboTV.
Fubo.tv is officially only available for residents of the United States, but this restriction is easily bypassed with either a VPN or smart DNS proxy. ExpressVPN works well for this, you can try the VPN risk-free with their 30-day money-back guarantee. There’s also an extra 3 months free available here with 12-month plans (the money-back guarantee still applies). This means you can cancel your subscription within 30 days if you just want short-term free access to stream El Clasico.
A VPN, or virtual private network, encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a remote intermediary server in a location of your choosing. Select a server in the US, for example, and Fubo.tv can be tricked into thinking you’re watching from America.
A smart DNS proxy accomplishes the same result, but it only re-routes the location-related data—DNS requests in particular—through a server in the US.
VPNs are easier to use and come with a ton of great other perks, including easily switching server locations and more online privacy. You just need to sign up, download and install the software, choose a server in the US and hit Connect.
Smart DNS proxies are a little trickier to set up but don’t require any additional software. You need to change your device’s default DNS settings and replace them with the DNS provider’s. You may also have to validate your device on the provider’s website. We like Overplay, which is great for streaming and good value.
Once you’ve got one or the other set up, just go to the fuboTV website and start live streaming the game in high quality. FuboTV commentating can be in English or Spanish.
FuboTV starts at $9.99 per month, but if you just need a one-off solution for El Clasico, take advantage of the 7-day free trial offer here.
What’s with this 3 p.m. blackout nonsense?
The 3 p.m. blackout rule was born in the 1960s. Its advocates argue that televising a game between 2:45 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. would draw people away from attending more local, untelevised live games. The lowered attendance from people staying home to watch a game on television would result in reduced income for smaller teams.
If that sounds stupid to you, you’re not alone. The UK is the only country with such a rule. Viewers in foreign countries, such as the US, can watch more live football on TV than those in the UK. Critics call the 3 p.m. blackouts a relic of television’s dominance over the sport. The rule might be on its last leg, but UK fans this year will have to find another means to watch El Clasico.
