Both Barcelona and Valencia have had successful seasons on the domestic front, with Barcelona winning La Liga and Valencia securing 4th place and a Champions League place on the final day of the season. They’ve also gone perhaps not far enough in the European competitions, with Barcelona getting improbably ousted by Liverpool after amassing a 3-0 first-leg advantage, and Valencia losing to Arsenal in the Europa League semifinals. There’s one more matter between the teams to round out the season: the Copa del Rey Final on Saturday to determine the winner of the annual Spanish soccer tournament that first started in 1903.
Barcelona vs. Valencia (Copa del Rey Final)
- When: 3pm ET, Saturday, May 25
- Where: Estadio Benito Villamarín in Sevilla, Spain
- Streaming: ESPN Deportes
Copa del Rey Final live stream: Watch Barcelona vs. Valencia for free
Each of the following services carries ESPN Deportes providing a one-week trial and therefore an easy way to watch the Copa del Rey Final for free.
1) Sling TV
- Sling TV pricing: $25-$40 per month (40% off first month)
- Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, Oculus Go, Microsoft Edge, and iOS and Android devices
- Sling TV local channels: NBC, Fox (check your local availability here)
Sling TV provides two base channel package options, each priced at $25 per month. Sling Orange includes three ESPN channels, while Sling Blue includes sports channels like NFL Network, FS1 and FS2, NBCSN, and local channels. (Sling Blue customers in select markets get NBC, where this match will be featured; see if yours has it here.) If you’re Team “Why Not Both,” Sling Orange + Blue combines the two for just $40 per month. To add beIN SPORTS and maximize your soccer-watching potential, you’ll want to add either Sports Extra: Sling Orange ($5 per month, where you’ll find ESPNEWS) or Sports Extra: Sling Blue ($10 per month). (The latter also includes NFL RedZone.)
Spanish-speaking viewers have quite a few options. For bilingual families, you might consider the Español: Best of Spanish TV package for either Sling Orange or Sling Blue for 24/7 specialty channel LaLiga TV and beIN SPORTS Connect: Channels 4-9, which features matches from LaLiga, Ligue 1 and Copa del Rey, among others. Both packages cost $5 per month after your free trial. Sling TV Latino is another Spanish-language package for $10 per month, including NBC Universo, History en Español, and—of import to soccer fans—four beIN SPORTS channels. (And choosing Sling TV Latino + Sling Orange for $30 per month gives you access to ESPN Deportes.) For more information, check out our guide to Sling TV channels and our Sling TV review.
2) PlayStation Vue
- Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- PlayStation Vue devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
- PlayStation Vue local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
PlayStation Vue is a fantastic option for soccer fans who already own a PlayStation console, but this streaming platform is available on a variety of devices. ESPN Deportes (where the final will play) is part of the Elite package of channels that offer soccer and other sports programming, supplementing what exists at the Core level, and the options increase at the Ultra level.
3) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $44.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu with Live TV includes sports programming among its broad spectrum of offerings (including ESPN Deportes as part of the Español add-on package), and as a subscriber to the service, you’ll get free access to Hulu’s sizable on-demand library. (Check out the full list of Hulu Live TV channels.)
Copa del Rey Final: Why it matters
For Barcelona, this matters because they’ve won this competition the last four years, and they have a streak to keep up. They won La Liga in fairly easy fashion, all but wrapping it up after beating their closest competitor Atletico Madrid head-to-head with a little over a month remaining in the season. In Champions League, however, they suffered a defeat that will live on in Champions League lore for years or even decades—especially if Liverpool does go on to win the finals in Madrid next week. Getting a win here certainly won’t erase that, but it will put another trophy in the case.
For Valencia, who last won this tournament in 2008, a victory would be a tangible validation of a solid if not spectacular season. Valencia goes into this tournament as underdogs due to the talent difference, but they do have players that can compete, and if they catch Barcelona on an off day, it’s conceivable they could lift the trophy in Sevilla.
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