Primeira LigaUpdated Jun 18, 2026
How to Watch the Primeira Liga (Liga Portugal) 2025-26 in the USA
Every way to watch the Primeira Liga — Liga Portugal — in the USA in 2025-26. GolTV via Fanatiz and Fubo streaming, plus Benfica TV and RTP Internacional. GolTV's US cable channel closed in December 2025, but its Primeira Liga coverage continues via streaming — here are the real routes to Benfica, Porto and Sporting.
By Matchcast Editorial · Published
Broadcasters
5
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Global
GolTV's cable channel closed — but its coverage moved to streaming
If you search for how to watch Portuguese football in the US, you will find a lot of confusion about GolTV — and the confusion cuts both ways. Some guides still tell you to get GolTV on cable; others wrongly declare GolTV "gone." Here is the precise truth, which matters because the Portuguese-American community — concentrated in New Jersey (Newark's Ironbound), eastern Massachusetts (Fall River, New Bedford), Rhode Island, and parts of California — deserves an answer that actually works in 2026. GolTV's US LINEAR CABLE channel shut down on 31 December 2025, the end of a long carriage decline after it was dropped by carriers including Verizon, Cox and Spectrum. But GolTV's Primeira Liga coverage did NOT disappear — it continues in the US via STREAMING, carried on Fanatiz (which streams GolTV and GolTV en Español) and on Fubo. In other words, GolTV is still the US broadcaster of the Liga Portugal; you just reach its feed through a streaming app now rather than a cable box.
The 2025-26 Liga Portugal season runs from August 2025 to May 2026, with Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting CP driving most of the US diaspora interest and O Clássico (Benfica vs Porto) the headline fixture. So the routes are streaming-led — GolTV via Fanatiz or via Fubo — with Benfica TV for the Benfica home games and RTP Internacional carrying a weekly match. Here is how each works.
Fanatiz: the primary streaming route (carrying GolTV)
Fanatiz, the streaming service specialising in Latin and Iberian football for the US and global diaspora, is the primary route to the Primeira Liga in the US — and it is important to be precise about how. Fanatiz carries the Liga Portugal by carrying GolTV: it streams the GolTV and GolTV en Español channels, which hold the US Primeira Liga rights, to its subscribers. So when you watch Benfica, Porto or Sporting on Fanatiz, you are watching GolTV's feed delivered through the Fanatiz app. For a Portuguese-football-first fan, Fanatiz is the natural first choice — a dedicated subscription built for exactly this audience, bundling GolTV's Liga Portugal coverage with other Portuguese and Latin American football.
Fanatiz sells monthly and annual plans; the annual plan works out cheaper per month for a fan following the league across the full season. Check Fanatiz's current US pricing at sign-up. It runs on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, smart TVs and the web, so the Primeira Liga is available on essentially any screen.
Fanatiz carries the GolTV en Español feed with Portuguese- and Spanish-language commentary, which for the core diaspora audience is the preferred experience. For the fan who simply wants to watch Benfica, Porto or Sporting every week without assembling multiple subscriptions, Fanatiz is the single most convenient route to GolTV's coverage now that the linear cable channel has closed.
Fubo: the live-TV package route
Fubo, the sports-focused live-TV streaming service, carries Primeira Liga coverage in the US — also via GolTV's feed, which sits within its Latino-oriented packages. For a fan who already subscribes to Fubo for other sports, or who wants the Portuguese league within a broader live-TV bundle alongside other leagues and channels, Fubo is a natural route. Check Fubo's current US pricing and confirm the GolTV / Primeira Liga coverage is in the plan tier and package you choose, as the Portuguese-football carriage sits within specific Fubo packages.
Fubo's advantage over a dedicated service like Fanatiz is the breadth — it bundles GolTV's Primeira Liga coverage with a wide live-TV channel line-up, which suits a household that watches multiple sports and leagues. Its disadvantage is the higher price point relative to a focused streaming subscription. For a Portuguese-football-only fan, Fanatiz is usually the better value; for a multi-sport household, Fubo can make more sense.
Fubo runs on the full range of streaming devices — iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, smart TVs and the web.
Benfica TV and RTP Internacional: the club and public-broadcaster routes
Benfica TV is the club-operated channel of SL Benfica, and it carries Benfica's home games. For a Benfica-specific fan in the US, Benfica TV is a route to the club's home fixtures — but note the restriction: it is built around Benfica's own matches, primarily the home games, not the full Primeira Liga slate. It is the route for a dedicated Benfica supporter rather than a fan who wants every club's matches. Check Benfica TV's current US availability and pricing directly, as the distribution route varies.
RTP Internacional, the international channel of Portugal's public broadcaster RTP, carries roughly one Primeira Liga match per week as part of its general Portuguese-language programming for the diaspora. It is carried on US Portuguese-language pay-TV packages and via the streaming services that include it. For a Portuguese-American household that already has RTP Internacional for the news, novelas and general programming, the weekly Primeira Liga match is a useful bonus — but at roughly one game a week it is not a route to the full league.
Between Benfica TV (for the Benfica faithful) and RTP Internacional (the weekly public-broadcaster match), these are supplementary routes rather than comprehensive ones. For every club and every match, the streaming services — Fanatiz and Fubo — are the comprehensive routes.
Is the Primeira Liga free to watch in the USA?
Not comprehensively. The live Primeira Liga matches in the US sit behind paid subscriptions — Fanatiz or Fubo (both carrying GolTV's coverage), Benfica TV, or RTP Internacional. RTP Internacional's weekly match is "free" only in the sense that it is included if you already pay for the channel in a Portuguese-language pay-TV package; it is not a free-to-air broadcast in the US.
What is free: highlights and clips on Liga Portugal's and the clubs' official YouTube and social channels, accessible in the US. O Clássico and the marquee fixtures generate extensive free highlight content within hours of full-time. But for the live matches, a paid subscription is required.
The cheapest comprehensive route is Fanatiz, which streams GolTV's full Liga Portugal coverage at a focused subscription price — check its current US pricing. Fubo is the alternative for a multi-sport household that wants the Portuguese league within a broader package. And to be clear on the GolTV question: GolTV's US linear cable channel shut down on 31 December 2025, but GolTV remains the US broadcaster of the Primeira Liga — its coverage simply moved to streaming on Fanatiz and Fubo, so any guide telling you to find GolTV on cable is out of date, and so is any guide claiming GolTV is gone entirely.
US kick-off times and O Clássico
Portugal runs on Western European Time (the same as the UK), five hours ahead of US Eastern Time in the overlapping daylight-saving periods. The Primeira Liga plays most of its matches in the Portuguese afternoon and evening, which lands in the US morning and early afternoon. A typical Portuguese evening kick-off (around 8:00–9:15 p.m. local) airs at roughly 3:00–4:15 p.m. ET — a comfortable US weekend-afternoon watch on the East Coast, and late morning to early afternoon on the West.
The earlier Portuguese weekend fixtures (around 3:30 p.m. local) air at roughly 10:30 a.m. ET — a US breakfast-and-late-morning watch. O Clássico — Benfica versus Porto — is the fixture that draws the widest US diaspora audience, and its kick-off, typically in the Portuguese Sunday evening, lands at a convenient US Sunday-afternoon slot. For the New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and California Portuguese communities, O Clássico day is a genuine event, and the streaming routes above all carry it.
Check Matchcast for the exact US kick-off time of every Primeira Liga fixture, with the broadcaster listing on each match page, so you know which route carries the match you want.
Primeira Liga Broadcasters
- VisitGolTV (via Fanatiz / Fubo streaming)StreamingGolTVGolTV en Español
GolTV holds the US Primeira Liga rights. Its US linear cable channel shut down on 31 December 2025 (dropped by Verizon, Cox, Spectrum), but GolTV's Liga Portugal coverage continues via STREAMING — carried on Fanatiz (GolTV / GolTV en Español) and on Fubo. There is no standalone GolTV cable subscription to buy in the US now; reach its feed through Fanatiz or Fubo.
- VisitFanatizStreaming
The primary US streaming route to the Primeira Liga. Carries the Liga Portugal BY streaming GolTV / GolTV en Español (which hold the US rights), with Portuguese/Spanish commentary, alongside other Latin and Iberian football. Monthly and annual plans. Runs on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, smart TVs and web. Check current US pricing.
- VisitFuboStreaming
Sports-focused live-TV streaming service. Carries the Primeira Liga in the US via GolTV's feed, within its Latino-oriented packages — the route for fans wanting the Portuguese league inside a broader live-TV bundle. Confirm the GolTV / Primeira Liga coverage is in your plan tier; check current US pricing.
- VisitBenfica TVStreaming
SL Benfica's club-operated channel, carrying Benfica's home games — the route for a dedicated Benfica supporter, restricted to the club's own (primarily home) fixtures rather than the full league slate. Check current US availability and pricing directly.
- VisitRTP InternacionalPay TVRTP Internacional
The international channel of Portugal's public broadcaster RTP — carries roughly one Primeira Liga match per week within its general Portuguese-language diaspora programming. Carried on US Portuguese-language pay-TV packages. A supplementary route, not a comprehensive one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I watch the Primeira Liga in the USA?
GolTV still holds the US Primeira Liga rights, but you now reach its coverage via streaming, not cable. The primary route is Fanatiz, which streams GolTV / GolTV en Español and so carries the full Liga Portugal. Fubo carries GolTV's coverage too, within its Latino packages. Benfica TV carries Benfica's home games (club-restricted), and RTP Internacional carries roughly one match a week.
Is the Primeira Liga still on GolTV in the USA?
Yes — GolTV remains the US broadcaster of the Primeira Liga, but the way you watch it changed. GolTV's US LINEAR CABLE channel shut down on 31 December 2025 (it had been dropped by carriers including Verizon, Cox and Spectrum). GolTV's Liga Portugal coverage continues via STREAMING, carried on Fanatiz (GolTV / GolTV en Español) and on Fubo. So guides telling you to find GolTV on cable are out of date — but so is any claim that GolTV no longer carries the league.
Where can I watch the Benfica vs Porto Clássico in the USA?
On the comprehensive routes — Fanatiz or Fubo, both streaming GolTV's coverage — which carry the full Primeira Liga including O Clássico. It typically lands at a convenient US Sunday-afternoon slot for the East Coast diaspora. Benfica TV carries it when Benfica is at home. Check Matchcast for the exact US kick-off time and broadcaster listing.
Is the Primeira Liga free to watch in the USA?
Not comprehensively. The live matches sit behind paid subscriptions — Fanatiz, Fubo, Benfica TV or RTP Internacional. RTP Internacional's weekly match is included only if you already pay for the channel. Free content is limited to highlights on the league's and clubs' official channels. For live matches, a paid subscription is required; Fanatiz is the cheapest comprehensive route.
Can I watch every Primeira Liga club in the USA, or just Benfica?
Every club. Fanatiz and Fubo carry the full Liga Portugal — Benfica, Porto, Sporting and every other club. Benfica TV is the exception: it is restricted to Benfica's own home games, so it suits a dedicated Benfica fan but is not a route to the whole league. For all clubs, use Fanatiz or Fubo.
What time do Primeira Liga matches start in US time?
Portugal is five hours ahead of US Eastern Time in the overlapping daylight-saving periods. A typical Portuguese evening kick-off airs at roughly 3:00–4:15 p.m. ET — a comfortable US weekend-afternoon watch. Earlier Portuguese weekend fixtures air around 10:30 a.m. ET. O Clássico typically lands at a convenient US Sunday-afternoon slot.