Celtic vs Rangers: Where to watch the Old Firm derby in USA

Known as the “Old Firm”, Celtic vs Rangers is one of the fiercest local derbies anywhere on Earth, and we’ve got the details for you on how to watch.

Where to find Celtic vs Rangers

Viewers in the US can find Celtic vs Rangers in a few spots, depending on the competition.

The rights to the Scottish Premiership are held by CBS, which airs a match or two each week on its Paramount+ streaming service. They also carry the Scottish Championship and Scottish League Cup, the secondary cup competition in the country. Due to their popularity, either Rangers or Celtic are frequently featured in the games they select to broadcast.

However, select games are shown on CBS Sports Network, and considering that Celtic-Rangers is the marquee matchup in Scotland, this is often the location for the game. Sometimes these games are not simulcast on Paramount+, and thus you need a subscription to a service that carries CBSSN, such as fuboTV.

Watch Celtic vs Rangers on US TV

For the Scottish Cup, the main cup competition in the country, those rights are held by ESPN, with games shown via ESPN+. Obviously getting ESPN+ for the mere possibility of just one Celtic-Rangers cup matchup per year might not make sense, but the service also has LaLiga, Bundesliga, the FA Cup, and numerous other soccer leagues as well as an insane amount of other live sports. The Disney Bundle is also available, which pairs ESPN+ with Disney+ and Hulu for $12.99/month.

Streaming offers

Paramount+ offers a free trial, and starts at $5.99/month for the “Essential” plan that includes ads. In addition to Scottish football, Paramount+ is also the home for UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Serie A, NWSL, the Argentine Primera, Brasileirão and more – plus a wide library of non-sports programming such as Star Trek and other shows and films.

For games shown on CBS Sports Network, fuboTV offers a free 7-day trial, and is $74.99/month after that. It features over 100 channels including those that air Scotland’s bigger neighbors to the south, the Premier League.

ESPN+, for Scottish Cup games, is $10.99/month, or $109.99 annually. The Disney Bundle is also available, which pairs ESPN+ with Disney+ and Hulu, adding a ton more content for $14.99/month.

History of the Old Firm rivalry

The two clubs are both based in Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city. They are by a very wide margin the most successful clubs in the country, between them having won 107 league championships, 74 Scottish Cups, and 47 League Cups.

The rivalry on the pitch goes way back to the late 1800s, facing each other over 400 times in major, official competitions since then. But the ferocity of the rivalry goes beyond the field of play. Being close geographical rivals in the same city is certainly one factor. Celtic Park and Ibrox Stadium are only about four miles apart as the crow flies. But long histories of religious, political and social differences between supporters of each club contribute to the heightened animosity. Catholic-vs-Protestant, Loyalist-vs-Republican, British-vs-Irish, etc. are all part of the complex environment in which this fixture resides.

The 2012 financial collapse and subsequent liquidation, and reformation, of Rangers has added a new dimension to the rivalry. After being reformed as a new company and starting at the bottom of the Scottish League system in 2013, certain segments of the Celtic fanbase assert that today’s Rangers is not the true “Old Firm” club of years past. Despite the legal technicalities of the holding company of the Rangers identity, however, the fixture is no less important. Rangers were forced to start in the fourth tier from 2012/13, but in just four seasons quickly earned their way back into the Premiership. They won their first league title since being back up in 2020/21.

Old Firm Players

Due to the nature of the rivalry, it is generally rare for players to play for both teams over the course of their career. Players such as Ally McCoist, James McGrory, Henrik Larsson, Kenny Dalglish, Derek Johnstone, Kris Boyd and others are some of the names that have made their mark on the derby.

United States national team fans have often had their eye on the Old Firm in the 21st century, with several notable players suiting up in Scotland. Claudio Reyna, DeMarcus Beasley, Maurice Edu, Carlos Bocanegra and Alejandro Bedoya have all played for Rangers, while more recently Timothy Weah and Cameron Carter-Vickers have represented Celtic.

Managers such as Bill Struth, Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers, Steven Gerrard, WIllie Maley and Jimmie McGrory have steered their clubs though the treacherous territory of the Old Firm over the years.

All time results in all official competitions:

Most recently, the two sides played to a 2-2 draw at Ibrox in the 20th week of the 2022/23 SPL season.

For the latest Scottish football schedules, visit our Scottish Premiership, Scottish Championship, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup pages.