Monaco host Lens in the Ligue 1 on Saturday, and the match is being streamed for free on CazéTV — if you have a VPN handy. The catch is that CazéTV is blocked outside Brazil, so the site is recommending ExpressVPN to get around that restriction. It is a curious arrangement: the stream is free, but the route to it costs money.
Monaco vs. Lens: The Fixtures
The game kicks off at 2:45 p.m. ET on Sept. 18 at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. Monaco have had a strong start to the season, picking up three wins and a draw from their first four games. They sit second in the table, held back from the top spot only by goal difference.
Lens have not won a game since their season opener. That makes this a test of whether the underdog can upset the in-form Monaco.
How to Watch the Stream
CazéTV carries the match, but it is blocked outside Brazil. The workaround is to use a virtual private network, or VPN, which hides your actual location and connects you to a server in Brazil instead. The recommended tool is ExpressVPN.
The steps are simple:
- Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (ExpressVPN is the pick).
- Download the app to your device of choice.
- Open the app and connect to a server in Brazil.
- Visit CazéTV and watch the match.
The stream itself is free. The VPN is not.
What Is a VPN?
A VPN routes your internet traffic through a server in another country. In this case, connecting to a Brazilian server lets CazéTV see you as if you were in Brazil, where the stream is available.
VPNs also protect your privacy by hiding your IP address. Some services keep logs of everything you do online; ExpressVPN says it does not. The company promises no logging of user activity, which means your viewing history stays private.
Why ExpressVPN?
The pitch for ExpressVPN is built on several selling points. It has servers in 105 countries, including Brazil, so the route to the stream exists. Its app works across all major devices: iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more. The company allows up to 10 simultaneous connections.
The price is where things get interesting. A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40, which includes an extra four months for free. That works out to 81% off the usual rate. The plan also comes with a year of free unlimited cloud backup.
A one-month plan costs just $12.99, which is the cheapest way to try it out. Both plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can cancel within a month without losing anything.
The Catch
The arrangement is amusing rather than clever. You are paying for a subscription to watch a stream that is free to anyone inside Brazil, who does not need a VPN at all. The source describes the strategy as “not a long-term strategy,” which is a fair warning.
The money-back guarantee is the safety valve. Pay $12.99 for a month, stream the match, and if you decide the subscription is not worth keeping, you can cancel and get your money back within 30 days. That makes the risk minimal for a single fixture.
Who Runs This
The advice comes from Joseph Green, the Global Shopping Editor for Mashable. His beat covers VPNs, headphones, fitness gear, dating sites, and streaming, among other things. He is also Executive Editor of Mashable’s sister site, AskMen.
The Numbers
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| CazéTV | Free | Live stream of Monaco vs. Lens |
| ExpressVPN (one month) | $12.99 | One month of access, cancel anytime |
| ExpressVPN (two years) | $68.40 | Two years plus four months, cloud backup |
The shortest path is the one-month plan. Pay $12.99, stream the match, and cancel. If you want the backup and the longer subscription, the two-year deal is the better value — 81% off the regular price.
Neither option commits you for life. Both let you walk away within 30 days.
Monaco vs. Lens starts at 2:45 p.m. ET on Sept. 18. Set your alarm, fire up the app, and enjoy the football. Just remember who is actually paying for it.
Source material: “How to watch Monaco vs. Lens online for free,” Mashable.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.