Aston Villa’s Walsall friendly gets a free VillaTV stream
The preseason match kicks off at Bescot Stadium on June 21, with VillaTV carrying the game free for registered users in the UK.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Aston Villa’s preseason gets rolling against local rivals Walsall, and fans have a free stream to go with it.
The friendly is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. BST on June 21 at the Bescot Stadium. According to Mashable, the match will be shown on VillaTV, Aston Villa’s streaming platform.
VillaTV access for this fixture requires a free Essential Membership, Mashable reports. Once signed up, viewers in the UK can use the service to watch the game live without paying for the stream.
Villa head into preseason with changes
The match comes as attention turns back to club football after the 2026 World Cup, with several Premier League teams returning to action in the coming weeks.
Aston Villa, managed by Unai Emery, enter the summer schedule after losing several key players, according to Mashable. The club is also adding new arrivals, leaving questions around how Emery’s squad will shape up before competitive fixtures begin.
Walsall offer the first local test. The game at Bescot Stadium gives Villa supporters an early look at the side before the new campaign gathers pace.
How the free stream works
Mashable says the VillaTV stream is limited to viewers in the UK. The guide says fans outside the UK can use a VPN to connect through a UK server and access the platform.
A VPN masks a user’s visible digital location by routing the connection through another server. In this case, Mashable says connecting to a UK server can allow access to the VillaTV stream from abroad.
The steps listed by Mashable are straightforward:
- Subscribe to a VPN that supports streaming.
- Install the VPN app on a preferred device.
- Connect to a UK server.
- Go to VillaTV.
- Sign in with a free Essential Membership and stream the match.
Mashable notes that top streaming VPNs are usually paid services, though many offer trials or money-back guarantees. The guide says those offers may let viewers watch the friendly without keeping a paid subscription.
ExpressVPN is the named pick
Mashable recommends ExpressVPN for accessing VillaTV from outside the UK. The guide cites UK servers, apps for major platforms including iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac, fast connection speeds, a no-logging policy, and support for up to eight simultaneous connections.
ExpressVPN is listed by Mashable as offering servers in 105 countries, including the UK, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The guide says a one-month ExpressVPN plan costs $12.99 with a money-back guarantee. It also lists a two-year plan at $68.40, including four extra months free, described as 81% off for a limited time, plus a year of unlimited cloud backup.
For Villa fans, the key detail is simple: Aston Villa vs. Walsall is set for June 21, and VillaTV is the free streaming home for the preseason friendly in the UK.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.