Sunderland will face Leeds United in a club friendly on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, a matchup that gives viewers a clear appointment on the soccer calendar and a straightforward way to find it on TV or online. The game will air on ESPN2 and also be available through DIRECTV, fuboTV and, with DIRECTV offering a free trial.
For fans weighing the form between the clubs, the recent record is tight: each side has one win and three draws in their past five matchups. That history adds a little edge to a summer friendly that otherwise would be easy to overlook, especially with viewing options spread across television and streaming platforms. DIRECTV starts at $89.99 per month after a five-day free trial, while new subscribers get $30 off their first month of DIRECTV Choice.
The match arrives as soccer’s governing politics are also under a spotlight. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, “This is about the democratization of football worldwide,” after announcing a plan Tuesday to create a $20 billion company running the World Cup with private investors including the Kushner family. He also said “a consultation process has begun,” while FIFA said its 211 national member federations would have to approve any plan and could get the chance to access up to $20 million in one-off capital.
UEFA pushed back hard, saying, “It is not FIFA’s to sell,” and warning that “none of us are the owners of football.” It said it took the project “extremely seriously,” leaving FIFA to defend a process that is only just beginning while the criticism is already public and pointed. For Thursday’s match, though, the practical question is simpler: fans have a live kickoff, a fixed channel and multiple ways to stream Sunderland vs. Leeds United from New Jersey.
