How to watch: TV channel, live stream and start time
Prime time under the lights, a packed London Stadium, and a rivalry that rarely takes a breath. West Ham vs Tottenham landed in the Saturday night TV window for a reason.
The match was broadcast live in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports, with coverage on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. Kick-off was 5:30 PM BST on Saturday, September 13, 2025, the flagship slot often reserved for the weekend’s highest-profile pick. Pre-match build-up typically starts around 5:00 PM.
If you were watching online in the UK, Sky Go carried the live stream for subscribers. Fans without a long-term TV package could access the game via NOW day or month memberships. The fixture was also available in HD, with UHD options dependent on your Sky setup and subscription tier.
For international viewers, the start time translated to 12:30 PM ET / 9:30 AM PT in the United States, 6:30 PM CEST in much of Central Europe, 10:00 PM IST in India, and 02:30 AM AEST on Sunday in Australia. As usual, NBC Sports handled U.S. rights across NBC, USA Network, and Peacock, with the final assignment determined by their weekend slate.
- United Kingdom: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League; streaming via Sky Go and NOW.
- United States: NBC Sports platforms (NBC/USA Network/Peacock).
- Canada: Fubo carries exclusive Premier League coverage, including streaming.
- Australia: Optus Sport holds live rights and on-demand replays.
- Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport shows live coverage across its Premier League channels.
- MENA: beIN SPORTS broadcasts the match with regional language options.
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ provides live coverage and replays.
- Nordics: Viaplay carries the Premier League in several markets.
Radio commentary in the UK typically sits with talkSPORT or BBC Radio 5 Live, depending on weekly picks and rights allocations. For real-time updates, fans could also follow club channels and the Premier League’s official match center for line-ups, stats, and in-game incidents.
Because this was a 5:30 PM Saturday kick-off, it sat outside the UK’s traditional 3 PM blackout window, which is why it was selected for nationwide television. Internationally, availability can vary based on regional rights, language options, and whether your provider offers multi-cam or tactical feeds. If you were traveling, roaming rules apply: some platforms allow EU/EEA streaming portability, but many services still restrict access outside your home country.
On-demand options usually include extended highlights and full-match replays through the same rights-holder apps—Sky Sports in the UK, Peacock in the U.S., Optus Sport in Australia, and so on. Timings differ by platform, but same-day highlights are standard on TV and digital.
Why this London derby matters right now
Derbies crank the volume up, and this one arrived early in the 2025–26 schedule with plenty at stake. West Ham have turned the London Stadium into a hard place to visit under the lights, leaning on set-pieces, direct transitions, and a crowd that senses momentum swings in an instant. Tottenham’s blueprint has focused on pace, quick passing lanes, and overloads in wide areas—a clash of styles that often produces drama rather than stalemates.
Scheduling it in the Saturday evening window signaled its status as one of the weekend’s marquee fixtures. It also came straight off the September international break, a period that usually forces late fitness calls and tight travel turnarounds. Managers often face the same balancing act: stick with the core or protect legs that just clocked long-haul minutes. That uncertainty tends to add a layer of chaos to early phases of a derby.
Recent years have seen momentum swing between these two, and the head-to-head is known for big moments—late winners, penalty controversies, and momentum-sapping equalizers. Tottenham historically hold the edge across the Premier League era, but West Ham have landed statement wins in this fixture and rarely surrender the physical battle at home. The tactical chess is straightforward but brutal: Spurs want speed through the thirds; West Ham hunt turnovers and punish rest defense with quick, vertical attacks.
Set-pieces are a storyline almost every time these sides meet. West Ham thrive on corners and wide free-kicks, where blocking schemes and second balls can tilt the game. Tottenham’s response is about clean first contacts and immediate counters; if they can spring runners into space after defending a set-piece, they can flip territory in seconds.
The atmosphere matters, too. The London Stadium, pushing past 60,000, feels different at night—sightlines are wide, noise gathers in waves, and the tension builds with every transition. Getting there remains familiar to match-going fans: rail and Underground services into Stratford, then the on-foot stadium approaches. On busy Saturday nights, stewards stagger entry and exit for safety, so arriving early is smart if you want the pre-match build-up.
From an officiating perspective, the derby edge demands game management. VAR and goal-line tech are in full operation, which can calm or inflame a crowd depending on how tight the calls are. In matches like this, you often see early yellow cards settle the temperature—how quickly that happens can shape the first half’s rhythm.
Zooming out to the table, September points are not title-deciders, but they are tone-setters. Banking wins now buys managers time, gives new signings confidence, and sets a platform before the calendar squeezes harder with cup ties and winter schedules. For Spurs, taking charge away from home is a marker of maturity. For West Ham, beating a top-six rival reinforces ambitions beyond mid-table comfort.
What were fans looking for tactically? A few tells usually define this match-up: Tottenham’s full-backs tucking in to build, or pushing high to pin wide players; West Ham’s midfield screening and quick release into channels; second-phase recoveries around the box; and whether Spurs can prevent West Ham’s first contact on set-pieces. If Tottenham’s press is clean, they squeeze territory. If West Ham win the chaos, they tilt the pitch with waves of pressure.
For viewers, the Saturday night slot also brings richer coverage—longer build-ups, tactical boards, and extended post-match analysis. Sky’s broadcast typically includes player interviews, manager reactions, and breakdowns of major decisions, with clips repackaged across their channels later in the evening and the following morning.
Missed it live? Your best bet is the rights-holder app in your region for full replays or condensed versions. Highlights roll out quickly on TV, and same-night analysis shows recycle the key moments with angles you might not have seen in-match.
However you watched—on the sofa, in a crowded pub, or on a phone screen while shuttling across town—this derby delivered what it usually promises: a loud night, volatile momentum, and ninety minutes that felt like more.