Well, the 2021 UEFA European Football Championship (or Euro 2020) hasn't disappointed. Whether you support a particular team or you’re just keen to watch first-class football from Europe’s finest players, you’ll not want to miss a single moment more.
If you’re in the UK, it's possible to live stream Euro 2020 (or at least a lot of it) on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website, and also watch the live coverage of matches on TV channels BBC One and BBC Two. The channel certainly feels like a lucky charm for England supporters after Gary Lineker and co cheered the Three Lions on to victory over Germany and Ukraine. But for the semi-final, it has been dished up Italy vs Spain on Tuesday, July 6.
In this article, we’ll show you how to get the most out of the Euro 2020 BBC coverage. As well as information on matches and how a BBC iPlayer VPN could help if you're abroad.
Euro 2020 matches live on BBC TV
Across all its services, the BBC is set to offer excellent, wide-reaching coverage of the Euro 2020 action as it unfolds.
The BBC is evenly sharing the coverage with ITV, which means you’ll be able to watch 25 live matches across BBC One and BBC Two - including England’s hotly anticipated quarter-final against Ukraine, as well as the momentous final at Wembley Stadium on July 11.
Notably, the BBC’s Euro 2020 coverage won’t be interrupted by any commercial breaks, which means you’ll be able to fully immerse yourself in the experience - from pre-match build-up to post-match analysis.
Euro 2020 on BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer is an online streaming service that showcases a large and varied array of the BBC’s TV shows, from hit dramas and long-running comedies to captivating documentaries and extensive sports coverage.
BBC iPlayer is an excellent way to catch up on the BBC shows you’ve missed. And for big exclusive events - such as Euro 2020 - you can also see them on your device thanks to iPlayer online and its dedicated apps. That's ideal if you’re on the go and unable to watch on TV.
If you’re in the UK, you can access iPlayer on a variety of devices, including Windows/Mac computers, Android/iOS supported phones and tablets, Smart TVs, and games consoles.
Moreover, if you’ve missed the beginning of a live show, you have the option of selecting Live Restart on whichever device you’re using. This instantly takes you back to the start of the broadcast and enables you to catch up - a perfect solution if you’ve missed the beginning of an action-packed Euros game.
Does watching Euro 2020 on BBC cost anything?
The BBC operates in a different way to other broadcasting companies because it’s funded through the UK TV Licence fee, rather than through advertising. This is why your BBC Euro 2020 viewing won’t be interrupted by third-party advertising.
So, provided you’ve paid the license fee (which is a legal requirement if you want to watch TV in the UK), you won’t need to pay anything extra to stream content on BBC iPlayer - that includes the BBC’s coverage of Euro 2020.
The only other thing you need to do to access BBC iPlayer is to create a free registration account, which involves setting up a straightforward username and password.
What will the BBC Euro 2020 coverage be like?
You can always rely on the BBC give it 110% when it comes to broadcasting major sporting tournaments.
And they've pulled out some real big guns to help with the punditry. The real star names are Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Jurgen Klinsmann, with regular BBC faces like Gary Lineker, Gabby Logan, Eilidh Barbour and Mark Chapman on presenting duties, and Alex Scott, Micah Richards, Alan Shearer and Rio Ferdinand giving out the hard-hitting hot takes.
Ashley Williams and Mark Hughes are representing the Welsh, while James McFadden and Shelley Kerr will bring their expertise on the Scotland team.
As well as game coverage, build-up, analysis and highlights, you can expect to see plenty more videos and content on its dedicated homepage. Plus, England legend and robot-dancer extraordinaire Peter Crouch will be hosting his own regular take on hor the tournament is progressing with the charmingly titled Crouchy's Year-Late Euros: Live.
Watching Euro 2020 on BBC outside the UK
BBC iPlayer can only be used by users with a UK-based IP address. This means that if you happen to be outside the UK during Euro 2020, you won’t be able to follow BBC’s live coverage of the event unless you use a VPN.
A VPN is a private network that reroutes your connection through a remote server to disguise your true location on the internet. Once you have connected to a UK-based IP address using the service of your choice, you should be able to access BBC iPlayer just like you were back in the country watching at home.
