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Home»Broadcasting»BBC confirms free-to-air FA Cup third round coverage

BBC confirms free-to-air FA Cup third round coverage

As Premier League sides join the competition, viewers will notice there's less free-to-air coverage on TV this year.
23 December 2025

The BBC will screen two FA Cup third round games live on BBC One on Saturday 10 January, with Discovery+ showing the remaining televised games.

This is a reduction from 11 live free-to-air third round games last season.

⬇️ Main Points
BBC to screen an all-Premier League third round fixture in primetime.
Discovery+ to screen every televised FA Cup games, including those not shown on TNT Sports.
Full details of where to watch every televised third round match on TV.

ITV’s loss of FA Cup rights will become noticeable to football fans in early January, when England’s top clubs join the competition. Last January, 11 third-round games were shown live and free on TV. This year, only two games will be available to Freeview audiences, both live on BBC One and iPlayer.

However more FA Cup third-round games will be available overall, courtesy of Discovery+.

Which FA Cup third round games are on free-to-air TV?


BBC One kicks-off coverage at 12:00 on Saturday 10 January with Macclesfield v Crystal Palace, live from Moss Rose.

Later in the day, BBC One will show the all-Premier League clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa from 17:30.

The BBC will show highlights of the weekend’s FA Cup games on Saturday 10 January at 22:30 and Sunday 11 January at 22:40 on BBC One.

All other FA Cup third round games (excluding Saturday 3pm kick-offs) will be shown on Discovery+. TNT Sports will also show some of the games.

Scroll down for a full list of all televised FA Cup third round games on Discovery+ and TNT Sports.

Sunday replays

The BBC Red Button channel (Freeview 601, Sky satellite/Freesat 970, Virgin Media 991) will replay Macclesfield v Crystal Palace at 09:00 and Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa at 16:35. On Freely, Sky Stream and all other connected devices, you’ll be able to watch the replays on BBC iPlayer.

Full overview: Where to watch all other third round FA Cup games


Fans of sides including Port Vale, Wrexham AFC, Leicester City and Southampton will need access to Discovery+. A selection of games will also be shown on TNT Sports.

Specifically, you’ll need to access to the TNT Sports or TNT Sports & Entertainment (formerly known as Premium) tier of Discovery+. FA Cup coverage is not available through the Entertainment (ex-Basic) tier that’s included with Sky subscriptions.

Discovery+ and TNT Sports will also cover the games that BBC One is showing live.

Friday 9 January 2026

Kick OffGameWhere to watch
19:30Port Vale v Fleetwood TownLive on Discovery+
19:30Preston North End v Wigan AthleticLive on Discovery+
19:30Wrexham AFC v Nottingham ForestLive on TNT Sports 1; Discovery+
19:30Milton Keynes Dons v Oxford UnitedLive on Discovery+

Saturday 10 January 2026

3pm kick-offs are not televised in the UK.

Kick OffGameWhere to watch
12:15Wolverhampton Wanderers v Shrewsbury TownLive on Discovery+
12:15Everton v Sunderland AFCLive on Discovery+
12:15Cheltenham Town v Leicester CityLive on Discovery+
12:15Macclesfield v Crystal PalaceLive on BBC One, iPlayer,
TNT Sports 1 and discovery+
17:45Tottenham Hotspur v Aston VillaLive on BBC One, iPlayer,
TNT Sports 1 and discovery+
17:45Grimsby Town v Weston Super MareLive on Discovery+
17:45Cambridge United v Birmingham CityLive on Discovery+
17:45Bristol City v WatfordLive on Discovery+
20:00Charlton Athletic v ChelseaLive on TNT Sports 1; Discovery+

Sunday 11 January 2026

Kick OffGameWhere to watch
12:00Derby County v Leeds United AFCLive on TNT Sports 2; Discovery+
14:00Portsmouth v ArsenalLive on TNT Sports 1; Discovery+
14:30West Ham United v Queens Park RangersLive on Discovery+
14:30Norwich City v WalsallLive on Discovery+
14:30Swansea City v West Bromwich AlbionLive on Discovery+
14:30Hull City v Blackburn RoversLive on Discovery+
14:30Sheffield United v Mansfield TownLive on Discovery+
16:30Manchester United v Brighton & Hove AlbionLive on TNT Sports 1; Discovery+

Monday 12 January 2026

Kick OffGameWhere to watch
19:45Liverpool v BarnsleyLive on TNT Sports 1; Discovery+

By: Marc Thornham | Image: FA

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