Names like Novak Djoković, Jannik Sinner, and Aryna Sabalenka come to mind when thinking about the Australian Open. These vicious players will appear at this year’s first Grand Slam, looking to claim the title of the AO 2026 winner. If you’re struggling to access the live stream of the Australian Open, you’ll miss this glorious eye feast.
Luckily, there are a few free, easily accessible channels that stream the Australian Open 2026 online. This article focuses on accessing these channels and watching the entire Grand Slam without paying a cent. We’ll also review some paid channels and determine their costs to prove that free channels are way better.
Watch the Australian Open 2026 Live for Free With This Trick
You’ll find a free Australian Open broadcast on 9Now (Australia) and Servus TV (Austria). Users abroad can use a VPN like NordVPN to change their IP to Australia or Austria and access the live stream in seconds. Here’s how:
- Subscribe to a VPN. We recommend NordVPN. It’s free for 30 days with a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans.
- Set up NordVPN and open the app.
- Connect to a server in Australia for 9Now, or Austria for Servus TV.
- Visit the free channel that streams AO live and make a free account.
- Start watching when the Grand Slam begins. Optionally, request a refund from NordVPN at the end to get your money back.
Free Channels That Stream the AO 2026 Live
Tennis lovers have a wide variety of channels to enjoy. For example, plenty of free channels also broadcast the US Open, famous for being the last Grand Slam of the season. When trying to watch the Australian Open live for free, you can opt for:
- 9Now, an Australian TV channel.
- Servus TV, an Austrian TV channel.
Both channels offer an HD streaming experience, which means even a big screen will do. However, 9Now is in English, which you’ll likely prefer over Servus TV in German. If you’re in one of these countries, you can watch AO 2026 live for free. People abroad will have a hard time and will seemingly need paid platforms.
This is because both are region-locked to their respective countries. The screenshot below shows that 9Now will only work in Australia. The same goes for Servus TV, which works only within Austrian borders. Many users have discovered that both channels can be unblocked even abroad with the help of a VPN.
VPNs and their IP-changing ability are vital. They make users appear elsewhere and grant access to region-locked content. People have found this to be paramount to watching the Australian Open on free channels like 9Now and Servus TV.
Unblock 9Now and Servus TV With NordVPN
It’s worth noting that premium providers often used, such as NordVPN, offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, enough to watch the AO live stream online for free, with a refund from the VPN. We’ll delve deeper into that after examining the other options for streaming this winter’s Grand Slam.
Other Australian Open Live Stream Options [Paid Channels]
What if you don’t want to use a VPN and want to stream the Australian Open for free in different ways? Sadly, you have the option of being in Austria, Australia, or using a VPN. If not, you’ll have to pay for expensive channels.
Australian Open Live Stream on ESPN
We’ll start with ESPN as the most affordable option.
ESPN is famous for its high-quality sports streaming that even goes to Ultra HD. ESPN also covers ample sports and can be used to watch NFL live streams or other sports you find interesting. There are two problems. It starts at $29.99 per month and works only in the United States. Can you somehow unblock it?
Yes, while ESPN can be unblocked with a VPN, you’re making somewhat senseless costs. Why pay for a VPN only to pay again for a paid platform? We should mention ESPN International as another option, which will stream the Australian Open live in the Caribbean and Latin America. However, a VPN will still be needed abroad.
Watching AO Live on Sling TV
Another platform you can use is Sling TV. Like ESPN, it streams a variety of sports, making it a solid option for everything sport-related. Along with ESPN Plus, it’s the most affordable option, whose plans start at $45.99 per month. This is the Blue plan, by the way. The other plan, Orange, is $4.99 per day.
However, you can get the Orange & Blue package at $60.99 per month, which, ultimately, is the best-value option. Regardless of the plan, the AO live stream is available. But, there’s a small catch: Sling TV works only in the United States. A VPN is always an option for Sling TV if you’re abroad.
But then, you’re spending money senselessly, especially if you don’t possess a US payment method. Like ESPN, Sling TV requires an American payment method to work. Don’t expect any free trials either. You’ll have to pay for Sling TV immediately to watch the Australian Open live.
Access Sling TV Abroad With NordVPN
YouTube TV Also Streams AO Live
You can’t stream the Australian Open for free on YouTube TV, but you can get a myriad of paid channels that air this event. If you don’t want to pay for ESPN, Fox, NBC, and other famous channels separately, you can do so via YouTube TV. It offers a ten-day free trial, but that’s insufficient to watch the entire AO.
However, after the first ten days, you’ll spend $59.99 per month for the Base plan with a few channels, among which is ESPN, which streams the Australian Open 2026. Like other options, YouTube TV works exclusively in the United States. Again, this means you need a US payment method to subscribe, which you may lack.
On the good side, YouTube TV is great for watching out-of-market NFL matches, which we discussed recently. If you’re outside the United States and subscribed to this streaming platform, read our ranking of the best VPNs for YouTube.
A Few More Paid Options to Think About
These were our three favorite paid platforms, but let’s review a few more:
- Fubo. A popular platform that streams the Australian Open online for free for seven days (free trial). After that, you’ll spend at least $45.99 for the first month, and $10 on top of that for each consecutive month. Fubo doesn’t have a money-back guarantee and works in select countries (the US, Canada, and Spain).
- DirecTV Stream. Another US streaming platform with a five-day free trial. It costs $94.99 per month for the Choice plan with sports, and won’t work outside of the USA. Shame, because its live-streams are top-notch quality.
- Hulu + Live TV. This giant streaming platform charges at least $89.99 per month. There is no free trial; you get access to the Live TV package, which offers ESPN and ESPN 2 for streaming the Australian Open online. Hulu works only in the US. Perhaps a Hulu VPN will help abroad if you’re willing to pay top dollar for this package in the first place.
How to Access the AO 2026 Live Stream in the UK?
If you’re in the United Kingdom, you can still use the free channels with a VPN. However, an easier option would be to rely on Eurosport, famous for its extensive tennis coverage. It also streams the French Open live each year. Eurosport 1 and 2 should be your options here if you decide to go this route.
Bear in mind, Eurosport is available through Discovery+ in the UK. Discovery+ costs £33.99 per month for the Sports & Entertainment plan. At first, it’s not much, but the problem is that Discovery+ isn’t available worldwide, and the UK version requires a British credit card for subscription; bad if you’re a non-UK fan.
Also, if you’re overseas, a VPN with UK servers is a must to access Discovery+ and unblock Eurosport for streaming the Australian Open live. Of course, we assume you have a payment method from this country.
Watch AO Live in the UK with NordVPN
How to Watch the Australian Open Online for Free?
At the start, we explained that people rely on a VPN to watch the Australian Open online on a free channel. Most people use NordVPN, as it offers numerous servers in Australia and Austria, making it easy to unblock 9Now and/or Servus TV. There are more perks, which we discuss in greater detail in our review of NordVPN.
NordVPN has unlimited data and bandwidth for streaming the entire Grand Slam. People also praise NordVPN’s availability on all devices, meaning you can enjoy a free live stream of the Australian Open even on your Smart TV or phone. Lastly, this VPN is risk-free and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
This allows you to get a refund when the Grand Slam is done and stream the Australian Open from start to end for free. The required steps are below:
- Subscribe to NordVPN. Long-term plans are the cheapest and yield great 70%+ savings. You can also pick its monthly plans if you plan to obtain a refund.
- Once you select the plan, pay for it using the preferred payment vendor and follow the on-screen steps to make a password.
- Set up NordVPN on your device. You can install it on any device you see fit for watching the Australian Open on a free channel.
- Open NordVPN and connect to a server. To unblock 9Now, connect to Australia. To unblock Servus TV, connect to Austria.
- Visit the respective free channel to watch the Australian Open live online. If needed, make a free account on the channel.
- (Optional) Get a refund from NordVPN when you’re done. Contact the provider, request your money back, and you’ll get it the same day.
Are There More Free Channels That Stream AO Live?
Yes, there are. If you visit its official sites, you’ll find many free Australian Open broadcasters in different countries. You’ll notice that most of these broadcasters aren’t in English. For example, African users can enjoy the Grand Slam on beIN Sports. However, it’s not in English, especially in countries like Chad, Djibouti, and Algeria.
Eurosport in Europe also has different versions. The Spanish or Danish versions aren’t in English either, and besides, they’ll also work in their respective countries unless you use a VPN. If you’re in the USA, the UK, or Canada, you can’t watch the free live stream of AO 2026 without a VPN.
Luckily, NordVPN is free for 30 days, and you don’t have to end up losing a dollar in the end. This is a far better pick than any free VPN, no matter its quality.
Conclusion
To digress, to watch the Australian Open live on a free channel, you need access to 9Now or Servus TV. As English-speaking people, we prefer 9Now. However, if you’re German, Servus TV will be fine. 9Now and Servus TV are their countries’ property, so they can broadcast only within their borders.
Using a VPN such as NordVPN or even ExpressVPN will fix the problem. Obtain an IP address from the respective country, visit the channel, and watch the Grand Slam. The same goes for other region-restricted options, both free and premium. Now go ahead and enjoy this winter’s tennis specialty for free.