Eastleigh vs Reading live stream: how to watch the FA Cup 2nd round online and for free, team news

Reading's Nelson Abbey chases the ball ahead of Eastleigh vs Reading in the FA Cup second round 2023

(Image credit: David Horton - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Eastleigh vs Reading live stream

You can watch Eastleigh vs Reading for free on ITV and ITVX in the UK. In the US, today's game is available to live stream on ESPN Plus. Football fans in Australia can tune in on Paramount+ and in Canada the game is available on Sportsnet World. Remember to use a VPN if you're trying to watch your usual stream while abroad. Full details on how to watch Eastleigh vs Reading just below.

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Kick-off: Sunday, December 3, 1.30pm GMT / 7.30am ET / 12.30am AEDT, Dec 4

TV channel: ITV (UK) | ESPN+ (US) | Paramount+ (AUS)

Free live stream: ITVX (UK)

Use ExpressVPN to watch any stream

Eastleigh vs Reading: match preview

When the draw was made for the second round of the FA Cup this fixture was one that immediately stood out as it looked ripe for an upset. Eastleigh had just dispatched Boreham Wood 5-1 to secure their place in the draw, while Reading had secured a narrow 3-2 win over League Two side MK Dons.

Before that victory, the Royals were sitting bottom of the League One table and had lost five games on the bounce. However, they have found a bit of form and have won their last two league games, while Eastleigh suffered a 3-2 defeat to Chesterfield last weekend and are currently 11th in the National League.

Reading may be entering the game on the back of successive wins but manager Ruben Selles will be all too aware of the potential of an FA Cup shock and will likely start a strong side at the Silverlake Stadium. So expect the likes of Harvey Knibbs, who scored two in the 5-1 win over Carlisle in midweek, Lewis Wing and Femi Azeez all to feature from the start.

While Reading will start the game as favorites, Eastleigh know that form means little in the FA Cup and they will be looking to put the away side under pressure early in the game. The Spitfires have twice before reached the third round of the famous cup competition, achieving the feat in 2016 and 2017, and manager Richard Hill will demand everything from his players as they try to do it for a third time.

Here's how the teams line up

Eastleigh: McDonnell; Francillette, Langston, Clements, Hodson; Taylor, Atangana; McCallum, Maguire, Boldewijn; Quigley.

Subs: Clampin, Barlow, Scott, Nwabuokei, Panter, Rutherford, Tshaka, Harris, Yang.

Reading: Castro Pereira; Mola, Holmes, Mbengue, Carson; Azeez, Craig, Savage, Elliott; Ehibhatiomhan, Knibbs.

Subs: Button, Dean, Smith, Mukairu, Hutchinson, Wing, Abbey, Rushesha, Vickers.

Can Eastleigh cause an upset or will Reading have too much for their lower-league rivals? You’ll have to tune in to find out so follow our guide as we explain all the ways to get an Eastleigh vs Reading live stream where you are – starting with how to watch the FA Cup for FREE in the UK.

Eastleigh vs Reading live stream: watch FA Cup for FREE in the UK

ITV shares live broadcast duties with the BBC for FA Cup matches in the UK, and will be showing Eastleigh vs Reading for free on ITV. Kick-off is set for 1.30pm GMT on Sunday.

Football fans in the UK can also watch an Eastleigh vs Reading live stream for free on ITVX, which is free to use and works across a wide range of devices including smart TVs, laptops, games consoles, mobile phones, tablets and streaming sticks.

Away from home right now? No worries:

Use ExpressVPN to watch ITVX from abroad.

How to watch Eastleigh vs Reading from outside your country

We've set out how you can live stream Eastleigh vs Reading in a number of countries around the world. However, if you're away travelling for pleasure or for work, you probably won't be able to watch the game like you normally would at home. This is the result of geo-blocking - best understood as digital borders that restrict certain services and content to specific parts of the world.

A good streaming VPN can let you get around these digital borders, while also offering robust protection from cybercriminals and government snooping. They're also easy to use.

Use a VPN to live stream Eastleigh vs Reading from anywhere:

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We've put all of the major VPN services to the test and we rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best of the bunch. It's compatible with loads of devices including iOS, Android, Amazon Fire Stick, PlayStation, Apple TV and such, and we found it secure, speedy and simple-to-use.

Another great perk is the fact that it comes with a 30-day money back guarantee and 3-months FREE, so you can see if it's right for you with no strings attached.

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Once you've downloaded the software, just follow the prompts to install it then select the location you want to relocate your IP address to - it really is that easy.

How to watch Eastleigh vs Reading: live stream in the US without cable

Soccer fans can watch a Eastleigh vs Reading live stream on ESPN Plus in the US, with kick-off set for 7.30am ET / 4.30am PT on Sunday morning.

The streaming service is showing all of this season's FA Cup games, and is also the place to live stream La Liga and Bundesliga soccer, plus live MLB, cricket, PGA Tour golf and NHL action.

ESPN Plus+ monthly plans cost $10.99 a month, while the cost-saving annual subscription is priced at $109.99 a year.

But there's even better value to be had if you grab ESPN+ as part of the big Disney Plus Bundle. As well as ESPN Plus live sports and documentaries, you'll get access to the hugely impressive Disney Plus catalog, which features Marvel movies, every Simpsons episode ever, the complete Star Wars canon, Pixar films, and much more, plus all the great shows and movies that Hulu offers.

And the cost is super reasonable - you only have to pay $14.99 a month for the Disney Plus bundle.

Out of the US and want to watch your home coverage? No worries - just use a VPN as described below.

Related: how to watch a Premier League live stream

How to watch Eastleigh vs Reading: live stream FA Cup in Australia

ViacomCBS (now known as Paramount Global) has taken the broadcast rights to the FA Cup from Channel 10.

This means streaming service Paramount Plus is the place to watch Eastleigh vs Reading in Australia, but be warned that kick-off is set for 12.30am AEDT first thing on Monday morning.

A Paramount Plus subscription currently costs $9.99 a month. As well as giving you access to FA Cup matches, it also offers gives you exclusive access to Hollywood movies like Top Gun: Maverick and original shows like Tulsa King, Halo and Picard.

Be sure to use a VPN if you're trying to access your home coverage from outside the country.

More sport: here's how to watch an NBA live stream

Eastleigh vs Reading live stream: how to watch FA Cup soccer in Canada

Sportsnet is showing Eastleigh vs Reading in Canada, with kick-off set for 7.30am ET / 4.30am PT on Sunday.

If you don't have the channel on cable, you can subscribe to standalone streaming service SN Now. Prices start at $19.99 per month or $179.99 per year.

A Sportsnet Now Premium subscription will get you even more games. It costs $34.99 per month or $249.99 per year, and as well as FA Cup soccer, it nets you WWE Network and coverage of the Bundesliga, United Rugby Championship, Premiership Rugby, National Rugby League, Super League Rugby, and the NHL, including out-of-market games.

If you're unable to tune in due to geo-blocking restrictions, remember that a VPN is all you need to watch the game as you would at home.

How to watch Eastleigh vs Reading live stream in New Zealand

Adrian is a freelance journalist and copywriter based in the UK. He’s written about sport for a vast range of publications including World Soccer Magazine, Newsweek, Yahoo, FourFourTwo and Red Bull. Although he has covered everything from the NBA Finals and French Open, to the London Olympics and Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi, his great passion remains football – a sport he could write and talk about all day long.