Wrexham to appear on ESPN+ for first time in 2023/24 season
After featuring a handful of times last season, Wrexham is back on ESPN+ this week for the first time since the 2023/24 season started. As the cup season continues in England and Wales, Wrexham has an FA Cup tie coming up in the first round proper of the competition.
On Saturday, Nov. 4, Wrexham is in action at Mansfield Town. Kickoff is set for 3:45 p.m. ET. As stated, this is the first round of the FA Cup. As a member of League Two, Wrexham did not have to compete in any of the qualifying stages of the tournament. Instead, it joins the competition with the other 47 teams from League One and League Two. In total, there are 80 teams competing in this round. Wrexham, out of the fourth tier, is taking on Mansfield, which is also in the fourth tier.
This is Wrexham’s first game this season airing on ESPN+. While ESPN+ does have the rights to League One and League Two games, it generally only puts one or two games per month on the streaming service. Moreover, those are during international breaks. While this round of the FA Cup is not during an international break, it still presents an opportunity to watch Wrexham on US TV.
Last season, hundreds of thousands of American fans watched Wrexham in action as it went on a magical run to the fourth round of the FA Cup. It narrowly fell to Sheffield United, then in the second division, in a replay at Bramall Lane. Fresh off promotion into the Football League, Wrexham is back in the FA Cup.
Wrexham in the FA Cup on ESPN+
Kickoff time: 3:45 p.m. ET / 12:45 p.m. PT – Saturday, Nov. 4
Watch now (in USA): Live on ESPN+.
Commentator: Mark Donaldson.
US TV: Match is available exclusively on ESPN+.
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Last season, some of those FA Cup games aired on traditional ESPN channels. For example, the replay in the fourth round against Sheffield United was on ESPN2. The original tie between the two was ESPN’s most-followed soccer game that week. By comparison, more people were interested in Wrexham-Sheffield United than they were in Brighton-Liverpool or Bayer Leverkusen against Borussia Dortmund that weekend.
Wrexham has a strong following in the United States, which is a credit to the Welcome to Wrexham docuseries that follows the club. Also, it helps to have famous owners like Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at the helm.
Wrexham is off to another strong start this season
After promotion, Wrexham continued its fine form in a new division. That should help the Welsh club’s efforts. Currently, Wrexham sits third in League Two with 30 points after 16 games. To be fair, it is still very early in the campaign. However, third place in League Two is good enough for promotion to League One automatically.
Last season, Wrexham supporters said the FA Cup run was a bonus to what was a historically dominant season from the Red Dragons. If the club can go on another impressive run, it could help push the club to achieve more success in the league.
PHOTO: IMAGO / PA Images