Man City vs Man United: Where to watch in USA

The Manchester Derby, Man City vs Man United is one of the biggest games on the calendar each season in English football. Here’s all the info you need to watch the games!

Where to find Man City vs Man United

Viewers in the US can find Manchester City vs Manchester United in several locations, depending on the date, time, and competition.

The rights to the Premier League are held by NBC. While certain matches each week are exclusively shown on their Peacock streaming service, big games are broadcast on television on the USA Network or the main NBC over-the-air channel. United-City is a marquee matchup that almost certainly will be shown on USA or NBC. In addition, Spanish language broadcasts are televised on either Universo or Telemundo.

Both clubs are perennial top-6 contenders in the EPL, and are two of the most successful teams in all of England. In addition, they have large followings in the USA, so it’s no surprise they tend to be highlighted by NBC on linear TV.

Considering it’s a guarantee Man City-Man United happens twice a year in the Premier League, the best bet to catch the games is via Fubo. The streaming service is an alternative to cable which includes over 100 channels, including those that air the Premier League.

Watch Manchester United vs Manchester City on US TV

While NBC holds the rights to the Premier League, there are other competitions which could see the two sides meet up.

Should United and City be drawn together in the FA Cup or League Cup, those rights are held by ESPN. The majority of English cup matches are shown on ESPN+. However, later round games and the final may also be shown on the ESPN/ESPN2 cable networks as well.

In the event the two teams face off in UEFA Champions League or Europa League, things move over to CBS/Paramount+. Games are all shown on Paramount+ streaming, with select matches also airing on the main CBS network.

Streaming offers

As noted above, Fubo (with access to Premier League games) is $74.99/month and offers a free 7-day trial.

Peacock does hold Premier League rights, however marquee games like Man City vs Man United are very likely to be featured in linear TV, those games are usually not available on Peacock. Saturday games shown on NBC, however, usually are also simulcast on Peacock.

ESPN+, for FA Cup and League Cup games, is $10.99/month, or $109.99 annually. The Disney Bundle is also available, which pairs ESPN+ with Disney+ and Hulu, adding a ton more content for $14.99/month.

History of the Man City vs Man United rivalry

Local derbies between clubs in the same city always are special affairs, especially when the combatants are both high profile sides. The home grounds of City and United are only about four miles apart.

In the earliest days of the fixture, it wasn’t actually City vs United. At the time of the first matchup in 1881, the clubs that would become those we know today were then known as St. Marks (City) and Newton Heath (United).

The first time the two met in the Football League was 1894/95 (Newton Heath won 5-2). City would win the first ever First Division meeting 3-0 in 1906.

The fixture has always been a prominent affair, but the 2008 takeover of City by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group that elevated them to elite status has altered the fabric of the rivalry. Extra weight has been added to the affair as City have now been the dominant Manchester side over the past decade, winning the Premier League six times (after not having won the First Division since the 1960s). But despite the recent emergence of City as a super club, United still holds a significant edge in terms of trophies won, including their three Champions League / European Cup and one Europa League titles, while City has zero in those competitions.

Iconic players such as Bobby Charlton, George Best, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, David Silva, Sergio Agüero, Colin Bell, Vincent Kompany and too many more to list have taken part in this classic matchup. On the managerial side, names like Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola, Matt Busby, Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini have called the shots.

For more info about each club, as well as upcoming schedules and TV listings, check out our Man City and Man United club pages.