Australia has a culture built around sport: playing, coaching, competing, and most of all, watching. Whether you’re keen to watch an AFL (Australian rules football) or NRL (rugby league) match, you’ll have no trouble enjoying sport in all its many forms in the land Down Under. Here’s our guide on where you can watch sport in Australia.
AFL
Australian rules football – also known as AFL – is the country’s unofficial national sport, and we highly recommend you catch a live game while you’re in Australia. AFL matches are played in every single state and territory across the country and buying tickets for a game during the season (which runs from March to September) is easy. Just jump on the AFL website, pick the game/date you want to attend in your city, and enjoy! Tickets for the 2025 Premiership Season are available now!
If you’d rather watch from home, you can watch AFL matches on Channel 7, stream matches for free on 7plus, or watch for a fee via Kayo Sports (one of Australia’s top online sports streaming sites).
Soccer/Football
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will take place from 11 June to 19 July, so it’s time to plan your viewing schedule! In Australia, you can stream the FIFA World Cup for free on SBS On Demand.
Stan Sport is the spot to watch UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Youth League and Super Cup, while Optus Sport offers Premier League, Women’s Super League, and more. Both options will require a paid subscription.
Cricket
Meanwhile, cricket is Australia’s national sport. The Cricket Australia website is the perfect place to see where games are playing and buy tickets. Head to Matches to filter by series (for example, T20 or the Ashes) and location to see what’s happening near you.
You’ll also find a comprehensive list of where to watch cricket matches from home on the Cricket Australia website. Some of these you’ll have to pay for (Kayo Sports), while others will let you watch live cricket for free online.
Tennis
Featuring some of tennis’ greatest stars like Novak Djokovic to Ajla Tomljanović to Ons Jabeur, the Australian Open (AO) is the country’s biggest international tennis tournament. It starts in January every year in Melbourne.
The AO can be streamed live on the 9Now app, while the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open are shown across various outlets. Your safest bet is to buy a subscription to Kayo Sports so you can catch all the matches in one place.
Formula One
Every year, the Australian Grand Prix puts spectators on the edge of their seats. World-renowned drivers race around the Melbourne track, the sounds of screeching tyres echoing through the city streets.
This year, the Australian Grand Prix will take place from 14-16 March 2025. While ticket availability is limited (and quite expensive), you can still experience the excitement by watching the race on TV.
All live TV coverage of F1 races in Australia is broadcast through Foxtel and Foxtel Now. You can also watch via Kayo Sports. All of these services require a paid subscription. To watch for free, tune in to Channel 10, which will be broadcasting the race live.
Basketball
Basketball’s popularity is growing steadily in Australia. To catch Australia’s local NBL games live in your city, check for tickets here.
If you’re a fan of the NBA, Kayo Sports is the best option.
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) travels across the world for live bouts, but it doesn’t visit Australia regularly. You might get lucky, though; keep an eye on the UFC events page.
The UFC is also not shown free-to-air, so you’ll have to invest in Foxtel for Fight Nights. For numbered events, Foxtel will show preliminary bouts, but main card fights are pay-per-view. This means you pay each time you want to watch a fight. Your best option is to watch these at a bar or pub; venues will advertise when they are screening events. Search Game On! for the closest venue near you showing the UFC.
Want a crowd but can’t attend a match live?
If you want to cheer on your favourite team with a crowd but can’t make it to a live match, pubs and bars across Australia usually show sports live for everyone to enjoy. Use Game On! to find out which venues will be streaming sports (like soccer, rugby, horse racing, snooker, hockey…) and when.
