Premier League side's European match made free-to-air in UK: TV channel and how to watch

Crystal Palace are preparing for a Conference League play-off following their disappointing demotion from the Europa League. However, UK fans won't need to subscribe to any services to watch the match, as it will be broadcast on free-to-air television.

The FA Cup and Community Shield victors are bracing themselves for their first major European competition this season, although they had anticipated participating in a higher-tier tournament. The Eagles earned a spot in the Europa League but were demoted by UEFA due to a breach of multi-club ownership rules. John Textor, an American businessman, held a 43 per cent stake in the club before selling it in June. He also owns the majority of Lyon, a French side that also qualified for the Europa League. After failing to provide UEFA with evidence of multi-club ownership restructuring by the deadline, Palace were demoted to the Conference League, with Nottingham Forest taking their place. An appeal was subsequently dismissed.

Now, Oliver Glasner's team is set to face Norwegian side Fredrikstad FK in a two-legged play-off to qualify for the main competition. Fans who want to watch the match can do so for free, with all the details provided by Express Sport.

When is Crystal Palace vs Fredrikstad FK?

Crystal Palace are set to host their Norwegian rivals at Selhurst Park on Thursday, with the match slated for an 8:00pm kick-off. The two clubs have never faced each other previously, though Fredrikstad, much like Palace, initially secured Europa League qualification before suffering defeat in a qualifier and being demoted to the Conference League.

Glasner's men are fresh from a goalless stalemate with Chelsea on Sunday, which came after their Community Shield triumph over Liverpool the previous week - a thrilling 2-2 draw that they clinched 3-2 on spot-kicks.

How can I watch Crystal Palace vs Fredrikstad FK for free?

Channel 5 will show both the opening leg on August 21 and the return fixture in Norway on August 28 free-to-air after the broadcaster secured the rights to the play-off tie.

Channel 5 managed to obtain broadcasting rights as these matches fall outside TNT Sports' standard UEFA package, which covers the main Conference League tournament alongside the Europa League and Champions League.

Coverage from Selhurst Park kicks off at 7:30pm, with Alex Aljoe hosting and former Palace defender Joel Ward offering expert analysis. UK viewers can tune in via Freeview TV on Channel 5, or stream the action through the Channel 5 app. This can be accessed on mobile devices, tablets, as well as desktop and laptop computers.

How did Crystal Palace respond to their Conference League demotion?

"The decision by UEFA and followed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport shows that sporting merit is rendered meaningless," the club declared following their unsuccessful appeal. "It appears that certain clubs, organisations and individuals have a unique privilege and power.

"This growing and unhealthy influence has shattered the hopes and dreams of Crystal Palace supporters, and does not bode well for aspirational teams all over Europe competing to progress when rules and sanctions are unevenly applied in the most flagrant way.

"Multi-club structures hide behind the charade of a 'blind trust' while clubs such as ours, who have no connection to another club whatsoever, are prevented from playing in the same competition.

"To compound the injustice, clubs that appear to have huge informal arrangements with each other are also allowed to participate and even possibly play against each other."