The story of Wrexham AFC and the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has been well documented — literally — as the docuseries Welcome to Wrexham chronicled how they came to acquire the team and Welcome to Wrexham season 2 is on the way. But it hasn't been as easy for those outside of the UK to actually see the Wrexham team play. That's about to change with a Wrexham AFC vs Chelsea friendly taking place on July 19.
Coming off winning the National League, which gave the team promotion to the English Football League for the first time in 15 years, Wrexham AFC is getting a chance to play on US soil against one of the top clubs in the Premier League, Chelsea.
The match is just an exhibition, but it will be a treat for long-time fans of the Red Dragons in Wales and the UK and those who have come to root for this underdog story in the US to see them against top competition.
But how exactly can you watch Wrexham AFC vs Chelsea in the US and the UK? We've got all the details you need to know.
How to watch Wrexham AFC vs Chelsea in the US
The Wrexham AFC vs Chelsea match is airing on ESPN in the US. Coverage starts at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT on ESPN with a preview show, then official the actual match is set to get underway at 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT.
ESPN is a cable channel, but available through most traditional pay-TV subscription plans. It is also carried by most live TV streaming services, including FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV. A Spanish-language broadcast of the match is going to be available on ESPN Deportes, which is available in all the same ways as ESPN.
But you don't have to have a cable or live TV streaming plan to watch, as the match is also set to stream on ESPN Plus, the sports network's standalone streaming service. A monthly subscription to ESPN Plus costs $9.99 per month, but consumers can also bundle it with Disney Plus and Hulu (known as the Disney Bundle) for a discounted price on all three or have access to it if they are subscribers to Hulu with Live TV.
How to watch Wrexham AFC vs Chelsea in the UK
It'll be a late night if Wrexham AFC or Chelsea fans in the UK want to stay up and watch the match live, as its start time is 12:30 am UK. But the good news is that it should be easily available to anyone who does want to do that.
The match is being shown on Wales' S4C Clic, which is available for free, and the Welsh football program Sgorio’s YouTube and Facebook pages. Viaplay is also going to show the match, though that does require a subscription that starts at £14.99 per month.
