Talk of "has-beens" and accusations of "arrogance" have already blown the lid off The Ashes, and that's just the dialogue between England captain Ben Stokes and his (apparently supportive) predecessors-turned-pundits. As for Australia, their own skipper Pat Cummins is injured, and they're already short at top order before a ball has even been bowled.
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
Michael Vaughan and Ian Botham have been particularly vocal in the press, but in fairness to Stokes they had their Ashes moments but they weren't perfect either, and some of their comments have leaned closer to destructive than constructive. Then again, England's approach under Stokes and Brendon McCullum does have a tendency to confound.
When they're good, there's arguably no international team – across any sport – that you'd rather watch. But when they're bad, it's hard to shake the sense that there's really no plan at all, and most certainly not a backup. Fitness, however, is a more pressing issue.
But in that respect, Australia's squad selection may play into the tourists' hands. Cameron Green is the only player under the age of 30 to wear the baggy green, which may be why there are such lengthy nine-day breaks between the 1st and 2nd Tests and the 2nd and 3rd Tests.
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.
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 a 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 a 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. Its channels can be added to Sky, Virgin Media and EE TV plans.
It coverage can be live streamed on Discovery Plus, which includes TNT Sports. A subscription costs £30.99 a 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: Friday, November 21 - Tuesday, November 25 (play starts at 2.30am GMT)
2nd Test: Thursday, 4 December - Monday, December 8 (play start at 4.30am GMT)
3rd Test: Wednesday, December 17 - Sunday, December 21 (play starts at 12am GMT)
4th Test: Thursday, December 25 - Monday, December 29 (play start at 11.30pm GMT)
5th Test: Saturday, January 3 - Wednesday, January 7 (play starts at 11.30pm GMT)
The Ashes 2025/26 squads
Australia
Steve Smith (captain), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
England
Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood
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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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