Football buffs have long admired the grittiness of Canadian football: having just three downs to make it ten yards, the frosty temperatures of Canadian cities, and the lack of the prime receiver talent characteristic of the NFL force teams into a tougher style of play more akin to a bygone era of football. No, the CFL can’t replace the NFL, but it’s its own unique animal and that’s why football fanatics around the world tune in to enjoy games year after year.

The 61st season of the CFL begins on June 14 this year, one week earlier than usual. Here is where you can find streams and coverage of games in your country.

In Canada

The sports network TSN is the official broadcaster of CFL games, sharing coverage with their French language affiliate RDS for games airing in Quebec, or featuring the Montreal Alouettes.

TSN Subscribers can use the TSN GO app to stream games and any other TSN or TSN2 content live on their computers, tablets, and smartphones from anywhere.

In the U.S., Mexico, and South America 

ESPN carries exclusive broadcast rights to CFL games in the US, Mexico, and South America, and fans can catch a handful of games each year on ESPN2 while the rest have been live streamed on ESPN3, an online and mobile-only channel available to subscribers.

This year, ESPN has overhauled its approach to streaming content with the introduction of ESPN+,  a streaming service that costs just $4.99 a month and is not restricted to those with a contract with a particular ISP or satellite TV provider, as ESPN3 has been in the past.

For those that like to test the waters before committing to a subscription, the first seven days of the service are free.

While ESPN has yet to announce it’s television and streaming schedule for the 2019 CFL season, it is safe to assume that they will continue the model of airing select games on ESPN2 while streaming the rest on ESPN+, although fans should check continually for an official announcement.

It is also important to mention that Canadian Football League Commissioner Randy Ambrosie announced that the league was considering signing a deal with the NFL Network once the current contract with ESPN expires at the end of 2019.

American CFL fans take note: You may need to subscribe to a different streaming service in order to catch the CFL in 2019.

In the U.K. and Ireland 

BT Sport owns the broadcast rights to CFL football in the British Isles. The network broadcasts CFL games both live and on delay on their BT Sport 1 and BT Sport ESPN channels.

Fans that prefer to stream or watch games on-the-go can catch the action on their laptops or mobile devices through the BT Sport app available for iOS and Android, although you must be a subscriber to BT Broadband or the BT Sport Pack through Sky Digital Satellite to use the service.

In Australia and New Zealand 

As in the U.S., ESPN carries the rights to CFL games down under, with a similar model of offering some games on television, while streaming the rest online.

Other regions 

For everywhere else not yet mentioned, the CFL offers an excellent international streaming service available in 130 countries (listed here) where fans can stream games live in high definition, or purchase past games on demand from the archives.

People in countries where other networks like ESPN and BT Sports own broadcast rights are regionally locked from using the service to watch live coverage.

​The CFL has fans around the world pretty well covered, offering decent television and streaming options in nearly every country. However, there be a few scenarios where you’d want to use a VPN to stream CFL games live, such as:

  • You live in Ireland or the U.K. and don’t want to sign an expensive lock-in contract with BT Broadband or Sky Digital just to watch CFL games.
  • You spend a lot of time online at school or work where certain websites are blocked, or bandwidth is capped, limiting your ability to stream live sports.

If these situations apply to you, subscribing to a VPN in order to bypass firewalls or regional lockouts could be your best bet.

  1. Purchase a VPN with a reputation for fast speeds.
  2. Download the VPN client on your computer or mobile device.
  3. Connect to a server in a country where there are no restrictions on using the CFL International streaming service (You have 130 to choose from).
  4. Clear out your browser’s cache.
  5. Head over to the CFL International streaming service website in order to watch games live or purchase games from the archive without pesky regional restrictions.

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