When do people use a singular and plural verb with the names of sports teams, ba...

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I'd like to learn when people use a singular and plural verb with the names of sports teams, bands, countries, companies and organizations.

Some examples of what I'm talking about:

Leeds United is/are
The Eagles is/are
Philadelphia is/are
The Heat is/are playing the Lakers tonight.
The Beatles is/are
The Netherlands is/are
The United States is/are
The United Nations is/are
Microsoft is/are

Ideally, I'd like to read an explanation which will allow me (a non-native speaker) to choose the correct options in British and American English in the sentences above myself.

Also, I'm fairly sure it's a regional difference to some point, so make sure to make it clear whether you are talking about the whole English or just about the specific variety of it. Many thanks in advance