Chelsea’s Carabao Cup tie with AFC Wimbledon was unique, in that not only was the match not shown on TV in the UK, but it also wasn’t available to watch via usual methods in the USA or internationally.
While both Premier League and EFL fixtures are often widely available via domestic and international right holders, frustratingly the same isn’t true for the League Cup (currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship purposes). While Sky Sports News brought live updates and post-goal clips from the second round game, broadcasters opted for Doncaster vs Everton as their stand-out tie from the round of fixtures.
On the night, Chelsea had to come from behind to beat League Two’s AFC Wimbledon. Noni Madueke and Enzo Fernandez found the net for the Blues after an early Wimbledon penalty gave the visitors a shock lead.
Chelsea’s USA fans (and those who can find their way around a VPN) are used to being able to follow all of the Blues’ games home and away either on mainstream TV or digital platforms, so the omission of this compelling match-up felt like a misstep.
In the end, Chelsea’s official website made the game available to stream for free in its entirety a day later, but with limited production values and lacking the live experience fans expected.
This year, the Blues enter the Carabao Cup in the third round owing to their European commitments, so fans will be hoping the Chelsea vs Wimbledon TV coverage (and the lack thereof) debacle doesn’t see a repeat.
