It's fitting that the strangest Ashes series of modern times should end with a 5th Test that both teams really could do with losing. For England, the silver lining at the back-end of this grim grey cloud was the end of the Brendon McCullum era. Win at Sydney Cricket Ground, however, and there's a danger that 3-2 won't look too bad after all.
There's nothing quite like it, so follow our guide below for where to watch The Ashes live streams from anywhere with a VPN.
How to watch Ashes 2025/26 online
Australia: 7Plus (FREE)
US: Willow TV / Sling
UK: TNT Sports / Discovery Plus
Blocked? Watch your preferred Ashes stream with a VPN
Yes, England's victory in Melbourne was their first on Australian soil in 15 years, but let it not be forgotten that it came in garbage time against opponents who were several key players down – as they have been throughout the series – on a freakish surface. It was a result worth celebrating, but in no way should it mask England's atrocious displays and disgraceful preparation.
Australia, meanwhile, will be determined to make it 4-1 after being panned for squandering the clean sweep. There's an argument that their only crime was losing the wrong Test. This is, after all, an ageing Australia setup in need of a rebuild, and a whitewash might have done too good a job of plastering over the cracks. Defeat in the 5th Test, however, would feel a lot like losing the series.
With Gus Atkinson ruled out, Matthew Potts is likely to get his first taste of Ashes action in the series finale, while Usman Khawaja is in line to make his finale Ashes appearances at the SCG.
Is there a way to catch all five tests? Can you watch any of the Tests for free? Is there 4K Ashes coverage? And what should you do if you're on holiday during the series? Read on as we explain how to watch The Ashes 2025/26 online and on TV.
Where can I watch The Ashes free of charge?
Lucky cricket fans in Australia can look forward to comprehensive coverage of all five Ashes Tests, courtesy of free-to-air 7Plus.
7Plus does require an account with a valid Oz postcode (e.g. 2000).
Free, extended highlights are available in the UK via BBC iPlayer.
Watch an Ashes 2025/26 live stream from anywhere
Most Ashes live streams are location-sensitive. So, you won't be able to access your usual stream travelling away from home. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a small but powerful app that lets you select your preferred location and quickly unblock and watch your usual Ashes 2025/26 live stream safely and securely from almost any location.
NordVPN is our pick of the best VPN services. It's affordable, fast, stable and easy to use. Try it risk-free for 30 days and see for yourself.
How to use a VPN for any Ashes live stream
1. Sign up to the VPN of your choice. NordVPN is the one we recommend.
2. Open the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the Ashes, you may wish to choose Australia for 7Plus.
3. Then head over to 7Plus on your browser or device and enjoy the free Ashes live stream.
Where can I watch The Ashes in 4K Ultra HD?
If you're in Australia, you can catch every Test in 4K UHD on Kayo Sports, but only through the AU$40 per month Premium subscription. On the plus side, it comes with a 7-day FREE trial.
Although TNT Sports Ultimate purports to show select events in 4K HDR (and Dolby Atmos), the broadcaster has made no mention of 4K coverage of the Ashes (nor, for that matter, the Premier League or Champions League) in its promotional materials.
4K Ashes coverage is also available via Sky Sport Now in New Zealand, but only with the NZ$59.99 per month Premium Month Pass or NZ$549.99 Annual Pass.
Watch Ashes 2025/26 live in US
Cricket fans in the US can watch The Ashes via dedicated cricket service Willow TV. The service costs from $10 per month and is available from a number of cable providers including Dish, Spectrum, Xfinity, Verizon Fios and more.
If you don't have cable, then the best option is to try an OTT provider such as Sling TV. There are options to pay just for Willow (from $10 per month), or add it to your existing Sling plan. You can check out your options and sign up on its website.
To access your usual streaming service from outside the US, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.
Watch Ashes 2025/26 live in UK
TV coverage of The Ashes is available via TNT Sports. The channels can be added to Sky, Virgin Media and EE TV plans.
Its coverage can be live streamed on Discovery Plus, which includes TNT Sports. A subscription costs £30.99 per month on a rolling basis.
Discovery Plus includes streaming access to TNT Sports Ultimate, however, neither of the broadcasters have announced if any Ashes coverage will be available in 4K HDR.
Outside the UK? Get NordVPN to access your usual Ashes streams.
Happy with highlights? BBC iPlayer will show free highlights of each day of play.
Watch Ashes 2025/26 live in Australia
As mentioned above, free Ashes coverage is available in Australia, via 7Plus. The broadcaster's coverage will be extensive, but it tops out at Full HD.
You'll need to pay for 4K Ashes coverage. Every Test is being live streamed on Kayo Sports in 4K via Fox Sports. Kayo offers new customers a FREE 7-day trial to test the waters, after which a 4K plan costs AU$40 per month.
Subscribers can also stream the action via Foxtel Now by adding the Ultimate package (from $65 per month).
The Ashes 2025/26 fixtures and dates
1st Test: Australia won by 8 wickets
2nd Test: Australia won by 8 wickets
3rd Test: Australia won by 82 runs
4th Test: England won by 4 wickets
5th Test: Saturday, January 3 - Wednesday, January 7 (play starts at 11.30pm GMT)
The Ashes 2025/26 teams
Australia team
Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland
England team
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue
* Teams for The Ashes 4th Test
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VPN services are evaluated and tested by us in view of legal recreational use. For example: a) Access to services from other countries, (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). b) Safeguarding your online security and making your online privacy more robust when abroad. Future plc does not support nor condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. We do not endorse nor approve of consuming pirated content that is paid-for.
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