There are more streaming services than ever before here in the UK. From the big hitters such as Netflix and Apple TV to more niche offerings including Shudder (for the horror lovers) and Crunchyroll (for anime fans).

The most notable recent addition to the gang is HBO Max, which made its long-awaited journey across the pond in March this year. It offers a selection of sumptuous film and TV offerings, including The Pitt, House of the Dragon and One Battle After Another.

Apart from wanting to binge all this tempting content, there’s another reason I am excited that HBO Max has launched in the UK – its accessibility features.

In the US iteration of the platform, HBO Max offers a variety of films and TV shows with on-screen ASL (American Sign Language) translation. Those include the likes of Barbie, Wuthering Heights and The Pitt.

It also released Sinners in BASL (Black American Sign Language), making it the first major streaming platform to stream a film interpreted in the dialect. It is far from the only streaming service to offer signed translation, but HBO Max takes a more tailored approach than most, by casting interpreters who match the character’s identity.

Why does sign language matter?

“So what’s the point of having sign language if you already have subtitles?”, you might be asking.

We spoke to Natasha Robinson, Inclusion Policy Advisor at RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People), to understand why this is not the case. She says that BSL (British Sign Language) is “a distinct language with its own grammar, structure and visual cues that convey meaning, emotion and tone.”

Robinson continues: “Some deaf BSL users may struggle to follow subtitles, especially when speech and sound are very fast or complicated.” She adds that streaming services should offer both BSL interpretation and subtitles wherever possible to give “the deaf community greater choice and access”.

In the UK, major streaming services with more than 500,000 users (also called Tier 1) will soon have to make sure that five per cent of their content is signed.

The full Access Code is still under consultation but, once it is in place, Tier 1 platforms will have four years to meet the quota. And, with HBO Max estimating six million users by the end of the year, the streaming service will most likely be included in that group.

Playing the waiting game

At the moment, HBO Max offers ASL only in the US; a BSL (British Sign Language) catalogue is yet to be released.

We asked HBO Max about its plans, and a representative told us it is working through accessibility offering and requirements with various UK regulators and bodies “to seek guidance on best practice and the best way to work with and support the deaf community”.

That certainly sounds promising. But, while the upcoming legislation is a great start, there is still a long way to go. Robinson says that the five per cent target should be seen as a starting point and that streaming platforms “should aim to make as much content as possible fully accessible”.

Robinson adds: “As everyone has different preferences, it is important that services offer a wide range of accessible content.”

It’s not yet clear when HBO Max’s BSL content will be released. But if it offers the same tailored approach as its US counterpart, then it could be a key player for streaming accessibility.

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You might want to dust off that old CRT TV, or at least you might if a) you still own one, and b) it can connect to Netflix. The streaming giant has released the first series of Stranger Things in a picture quality akin to VHS.

The sci-fi series is set in the 1980s, with plenty of nostalgic touch points such as Ghostbusters costumes, walkie talkies and Dungeons And Dragons. So making the first series look like a VHS from the period is very on brand.

As the show’s creators point out, this is how it would have looked had it been released when it's set.

“If Stranger Things existed in Hawkins, sitting on a shelf at Family Video, it would look just like this – complete with pan-and-scan,” the Duffer Brothers said in a statement. “And hey, if enough of you nerds watch it, maybe we’ll do the rest of the seasons.”

Pan and scan is a technique used to squash a widescreen picture into the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio seen on CRT TVs of the period. It involves cropping the left and right edges and panning across the image if something of note occurs within the cropped parts of the frame.

For any younger viewers, it’s a chance to see what we had to put up with in the olden days.

The VHS-style treatment will of course involve black bars either side of your widescreen TV, and the picture will look softer and blurrier than a modern image – expect this effect to be highlighted by the sharper image quality possible on modern TVs. But it’s all in the name of authenticity.

The series was re-released in this format to celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary. And as the Duffer Brothers say, if it proves popular, its subsequent seasons might get the same treatment.

To watch, head to the series landing page or search Netflix for “Stranger Things VHS”.

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I've finally given in to HBO Max – but does it merit the hype?

There are so many video streaming services available at the moment that it’s becoming increasingly hard to keep track.

You’ve got your established big-hitters such as Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video dominating the crowded streaming-sphere, while recent years have seen plucky upstarts in the shape of Apple TV and Paramount Plus trying to muscle in on the action.

Then there are the more obscure or niche players, such as animation-focused Crunchyroll, free service Tubi and reality-heavy Peacock all picking up viewers where they can. Even ITV has its own platform, ITVX, which costs a not-insubstantial £6 a month if you want the Premium version. That's the price you pay to watch Love Island ad-free, I suppose.

Thank goodness music streaming doesn’t work in the same way. Imagine having to subscribe to Tidal to get all of your favourite hits from the 1960s, only to discover that The Beatles have signed an exclusive deal with Apple Music. Now that’s a dystopian future.

Content and choice abound like never before, so surely there’s no more space for another player in a market more crowded than a tin of salty sardines? Surely we’ve got enough streaming services to last a lifetime?

Why HBO Max?

Incorrect.

There’s still space in the tin for at least one more oily fish (metaphorically speaking), and it comes in the form of HBO Max, the dedicated platform of the feted network that, in many ways, carved the way for the prestige television boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

HBO Max arrived in the US back in 2020, but only landed on UK shores earlier this year, and the new service's accompanying sales pitch was hard to resist.

Despite my many failings, I’m not, in my own mind at least, an insatiable streaming fiend. I subscribe to the cheapest tier of Disney Plus (sorry, picture quality fans) and have Amazon Prime Video on hand as part of my overall Prime subscription.

I’ve dabbled with Netflix and a free trial of Paramount Plus, but in truth, I spend more time gaming or, say it quietly, in the great outdoors than I do bingeing quality content. I only really got Disney Plus for The Simpsons, and it was worth every penny.

Yet even with my relative streaming ambivalence and the clear saturation of a bursting market, the arrival of HBO Max couldn’t help but pique my interest. This is the network that gave the world The Sopranos, The Wire and Deadwood, alongside countless other prestige shows that have essentially helped to define the Western cultural landscape over the past 30 or so years.

The arrival in the UK of a dedicated platform for said shows, plus quite a lot more, is a big deal. I had to see what was what.

First impressions

Before you dive into the world of the Home Box Office, you’ll need to decide on which version of the service you’ll want to subscribe to.

As is the case with most major players these days, you’ve got a slightly bewildering array of tiers from which to choose, from a bare-bones, ads-included plan costing around £6 a month to a TNT Sports package offering football, rugby, tennis and more in Full HD quality for around £30 per month.

If you want the best quality, you’ll need to go Premium to get access to 4K UHD and Dolby Atmos sound. I’m only dipping my toe at the moment, so it’s the cheapo standard-with-ads tier for me. Don’t judge me; we’re in a de facto global recession.

The number of permutations is considerable, something you can take as a positive or a negative: more consumer choice, or too many options designed to confuse and befuddle you right out of the gate?

Once you’re in, it’s time to navigate your profile and see what’s what. And what’s what is quite a lot, if you follow my meaning. HBO Max is laid out like pretty much any other major rival, with an array of alluring picture tiles subdivided into rows grouped together by category.

There’s a desktop version and a companion app, both of which work in broadly the same fashion, with a spotlight on the best series at the top, and then lots of those categorical rows interspersed with genre-themed collections – the ‘World of Westeros’, for example, or all things Harry Potter.

A Maxed out catalogue

What’s gratifying about HBO Max is that it appears, like a perfectly risen soufflé, to have emerged fully formed from the metaphorical oven.

We’ve criticised newer services that were keen to catch up with the established pack for being a bit lean at the outset – Apple TV took a while before it felt like a fully fledged service with a stacked catalogue of content – but nothing about HBO’s effort feels sparse or half-baked.

Perhaps that’s no surprise given HBO’s longstanding history and the fact that the US platform has been around for a good while already.

Having Warner Brothers as your parent company doesn’t hurt, either. HBO Max is, as you’d expect, extremely well serviced in the TV department, housing perennial classics ranging from The Wire to The Last of Us, but Warner Bros.’ extensive movie catalogue means you won’t be solely bingeing on series without ever sitting down for a cosy film night.

Dune, John Wick, One Battle After Another, The Lord of the Rings trilogy; it's a really decent collection that spans a variety of genres and time periods. Let’s not forget that Warner Bros. also owns the rights to DC Comics, so an extensive catalogue of superhero fare – from The Dark Knight to Wonder Woman – scratches that particular itch.

It would take too long to list every one of the hundreds of movies ready to be plucked from HBO Max's digital shelves, but when you've got The Big Lebowski, the Indiana Jones series, most of Christopher Nolan's repertoire, Whiplash, Leon, The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption and countless other big hitters to brag about, you're in a pretty good place.

Mind the gaps

No one streaming platform can do it all, of course.

HBO’s fresh-faced competitor also grants access to a collection of shows from Adult Swim, the adult-oriented content ‘block’ of Cartoon Network which gave the world the likes of Rick and Morty, Robot Chicken and The Boondocks.

This sort of thing is very much up my street, but I’ve been slightly disappointed to discover that there are serious gaps in the Adult Swim catalogue that have left some of the channel’s more obscure gems to be omitted from the roster.

The inclusion of The Eric Andre Show, Metalocalypse, and Samurai Jack represents a huge boon, but where are the cult classics for proper nerds like me? Where are Sealab 2021, Frisky Dingo, Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law, The Venture Bros., and Space Ghost Coast to Coast? Where oh where is Aqua Teen Hunger Force? Where are the classics?

A dearth of niche cartoons for regressive geeks isn’t HBO Max’s only blind spot. There’s a distinct lack of trailblazing documentaries to be found, and while there are plenty of behind-the-scenes tie-ins tethered to flagship shows, such as The House That Dragons Built accompanying House of the Dragon and Finding Harry accompanying HBO’s headline-grabbing take on Harry Potter, great standalones feel harder to come by.

Grim true crime slogs and celebrity exposés abound, but if you want groundbreaking nature documentaries, it’s best to head over to the BBC iPlayer or seek out Disney Plus and its National Geographic license instead.

Usability bugs can also temper one’s affections for what remains an unquestionably deep and impressive service. It’s not happened to me too often, but there have been multiple user reports of bugs and glitches, or the service just freezing entirely, when using the dedicated mobile app or the desktop version.

Also note that if you're rocking a more basic subscription, you might not get immediate access to some of the newer movies that have come to HBO Max.

According to the official website, "customers who get the HBO Max Basic with Ads plan through their provider can purchase the HBO Max Standard with Ads Upgrade for £1 per month" to get earlier movie access. Yet another layer of confusion, then.

A whole new world

HBO Max isn't perfect – no video streaming service is – but it's pretty darned good.

The streaming catalogue is rich and extensive, the variety of content is impressive, the usability, for me at least, has been relatively seamless, and the price isn't prohibitive if you're willing to do without the luxuries of high-definition and Dolby Atmos sound. Dealbreakers for some, but for me, not huge issues.

The real treat of HBO Max has been discovering the shows and movies that were hitherto completely out of my reach. I grew up in a time when access to many of HBO's back catalogue required a subscription to Sky and the installation of an accompanying satellite dish, the latter of which wouldn't pick up a signal in my rural corner of leafy Hertfordshire.

Yet in this world of purely online streaming, having the door unlocked to the likes of Game of Thrones, The Wire, The Sopranos, Succession and Oz represents a major coup, while shows that were hitherto stranded on obscure sites, such as DC's Doom Patrol, can finally be enjoyed by a far more mainstream audience.

Fledgling services can often promise so much yet deliver so little, granting a fun but impermanent distraction before you scurry back to the comfort of more complete alternatives.

Yet with HBO Max, no such urge arises. This is a fully formed, remarkably comprehensive rival to the major players on the market, one that, if it can smooth out some usability issues and continue adding to its already impressive collection of content, could seriously trouble the biggest dogs on the block.

HBO Max is here to stay, and from what I've seen, Netflix, Disney and Amazon should be seriously worried.

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Lando Norris is on pole for today's Hungarian Grand Prix, ahead of Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. It's a high-grade front five, but one notable absentee is the championship leader. Kimi Antonelli was hit with a three-place grid penalty that's dropped him back to the seventh slot on the grid, one behind teammate George Russell.

Find out as we show you how to watch Hungarian Grand Prix live streams for free from anywhere in the world.

Hungarian Grand Prix 2026 free stream

Austria: ORF On (FREE)
Luxembourg: RTL Play (FREE)
Belgium: RTBF Auvio (FREE)
Blocked? Watch your Hungarian GP stream with a VPN

Hungarian Grand Prix 2026 Schedule

(All times BST)

Sunday, 26th July
2pm – Hungarian Grand Prix

Hungarian Grand Prix 2026 Preview

This is Norris' first pole position of the season, and he was also the most recent winner in Mogyorod. However, the Hungaroring always has a surprise up its sleeve.

None of the past five Hungarian Grand Prix pole-sitters went on to win the race, while the karting-style track was also the site of Piastri, Esteban Ocon, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso's maiden F1 victories. Could Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad or Oliver Bearman be next in line?

Hamilton, who has also been given a three-place grid penalty, was the last driver to convert pole to victory here, way back in 2020. Since then, Leclerc, Norris, Russell and Hamilton – twice – have tried and failed to lead the Hungarian GP from gun to tape.

Last year's edition of the race was a thriller, which ended with Piastri crossing the line 0.698 seconds behind his teammate Norris. Despite heading up the grid, Leclerc didn't even make the podium. This weekend could pan out very differently, however.

Due to the high-speed nature of the tracks, Ferrari hadn't expected much from the past two races at Silverstone and Spa, only for Leclerc to come away with 43 points and Hamilton to leapfrog Russell in the standings. The high-downforce Hungaroring, however, should be much more their speed.

McLaren, Racing Bulls and Aston Martin, meanwhile, are each set to unleash a raft of major upgrades.

Below we'll show you how to watch Hungarian Grand Prix live streams from anywhere in the world.

Watch Hungarian Grand Prix 2026 live from anywhere

Most F1 live streams are location-sensitive, which means you won't be able to access your preferred coverage when travelling abroad. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a straightforward but powerful app that lets you alter your virtual location and thus unblock any Hungarian GP stream – including the free coverage in Austria, Luxembourg and Belgium.

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 Hungarian GP 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 F1, you may wish to choose Austria for Servus TV.

3. Head over to ORF On on your browser or device and enjoy the free Hungarian Grand Prix live stream.

How to watch Hungarian Grand Prix 2026 in 4K Ultra HD in the UK

In the UK, you can watch the Hungarian Grand Prix, along with every F1 race, in 4K via Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream packs. You'll need to subscribe to an Ultra HD package and have a 4K TV.

Head over to the Sky Sports F1 Ultra HD channel to watch every race, qualifying and practice in 4K and HDR.

Need Sky? Browse today's best Sky TV deals.

F1 season pass

F1 TV Pro includes live HD coverage of every F1 practice, qualifier and race. No ad breaks.

F1 TV Pro is available in over 188 countries – but not the UK (you can use the basic 'Access' version for live timings but you can't watch any races live). F1 TV Premium is available in the US.

F1 TV Pro is available via the F1 TV website, iOS/Android apps, Roku TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Google TV and other mobile devices.

Latest F1 TV Pro prices:

• F1 TV Pro in India – $3.99/month (cheapest)
• F1 TV Pro in South Africa – $4.99/month
• F1 TV Pro in Brazil – $5.99/month
• F1 TV Pro in Netherlands – €11.90/month
• F1 TV Pro in USA – $10.99/month
• F1 TV Pro in Mexico – $129/month

Watch Hungarian Grand Prix 2026 live streams in the USA

In the USA, Apple TV is showing the Hungarian Grand Prix – and practice sessions are free-to-air all season.

A subscription costs $12.99 per month after a 7-day FREE trial, though better deals are available to Apple customers.

Buying an eligible Apple device, including select iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac models, gets you free Apple TV access for three months.

Apple One, which bundles Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade and 50GB of iCloud Storage, starts at $19.95 per month after a 1-month free trial.

Alternatively, for a limited time the Apple Music Student Subscription includes Apple TV, and costs $6 per month.

Watch Hungarian Grand Prix 2026 live streams in Australia

Fox Sports has the rights to show every live F1 race in Australia. That means Foxtel and Kayo Sports subscribers get a front-row seat to the Hungarian GP too.

Kayo offers new customers a FREE 7-day trial to test the waters, after which it starts at AU$29.99 a month for the base Standard tier. For up to 4K video quality and simultaneous streaming on up to two devices, you'll need the Kayo Premium plan for AU$45.99 a month.

Subscribers can also stream the action via Foxtel Now by adding the Sports package ($30 a month).

10Play shows free highlights of every 2026 F1 race.

Hungarian Grand Prix 2026: Start Times Around The World

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• Splash the cash on our cheap TV deals
• Our pick of the best streaming services

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.

Hi-res music streamer Qobuz has redesigned its mobile and tablet app, with a new player and real-time synchronised lyrics.

The player interface has been completely overhauled to make it more intuitive, immersive and full of even more information. The visuals also dynamically adjust to the album artwork.

The mini player will remain visible at all times, so you can always control playback regardless of where you've navigated to within the app. You can also add or remove tracks to the play queue by swiping like on a dating app.

One very welcome is synchronised lyrics, which displays the words to a song line-by-line as they're sung in real time. It even includes translations so you know what they're singing about. Which should settle a few arguments without resorting to Google.

Not sure what to listen to first? Qobuz has created new playlists, including the best songs to sing along to. Sweet Caroline it is.

The Explore section can also help here. It serves up all kinds of recommendations like similar albums and artists, playlists, radio stations, and content related to the radio station or genre. You can also access the Qobuz Magazine – with editorial content on the artist – straight from the player.

The credits layout has been tweaked so give you better access to info like reviews, biographies and technical file data, plus you can follow an artist or label direct from the player.

The listening queue and autoplay now show the next three tracks, so you know – and can adjust – what's coming, and you can tweak the audio output, add tracks to favourites and add to a playlist straight from the customisable mini player.

These features are now available on mobile and tablet apps for iOS and Android, and will come to other platforms at a later date.

In February, Qobuz updated its CarPlay app with more features and Siri voice controls. At £12.99 / $17.99 / AU$20.83 a month, Qobuz is more expensive than Apple Music (which recently raised its prices), but the same price as Spotify and Tidal (in the UK at least).

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This week, we learned that AI music had surpassed 50 per cent of all uploads to the streaming platform Deezer, which means that more of the music being added to the platform was made by AI than by human beings.

In June, according to the streaming service, an average of 90,000 AI-generated tracks were uploaded every single day.

Deezer has already made efforts to crack down on fraudulent streams via its AI detection tool, but with such a vast quantity of music arriving on the platform, the company has gone one step further, pledging to “take down generative-AI tracks used to generate fraudulent streams, as well as those that haven’t been streamed for 6 months or more”.

Streaming fraud, also known as artificial streaming or streaming manipulation, refers to using bots to falsely inflate the number of streams a song receives. The phenomenon itself is nothing new, but fraudsters’ methods have changed with the rise of AI.

In the early days of streaming, bots were often used to play tracks repeatedly, garnering royalties by racking up astronomical listening numbers. As platforms caught on to the tactic, they began disabling accounts that saw sudden, unexplained jumps in listeners.

Recently, however, streaming services have seen AI being used to mass produce music for release under multiple artist accounts, each of which can receive a smaller amount of streams, thereby avoiding fraud detection methods.

Even the most evangelical of AI enthusiasts will be able to imagine the impact this has on musicians. Streaming royalties are not an infinite resource, and as a growing percentage of revenue is allocated to AI-generated music, a smaller portion can be paid to real musicians who have already suffered the financial losses associated with the rise of streaming.

With this in mind, streaming services have started taking action.

Tidal, for instance, recently added an 'allow AI content' switch, which is accessible through the platform’s settings page. When switched off, Tidal automatically greys out and skips songs tagged as AI-generated.

If you are using Deezer, the company’s AI detection tool allows you to scan your playlists for AI-generated content. The tool can be used across other streaming services, too, but to see which specific albums are the culprits, you’ll need to transfer your playlists and library to the platform.

AI-generated songs are also automatically removed from Deezer's algorithmic recommendations and editorial playlists. When stream manipulation is detected, the service excludes the involved streams from royalty payments.

Earlier this year, French streaming platform Qobuz also published an AI charter, pledging to remove AI-generated content upon detection.

Spotify claimed it had taken down 75 million AI tracks in 2025, but, notably, the platform doesn’t yet use automated detection to highlight AI music, opting instead for a voluntary tagging model that is reliant on creators' honesty. Apple Music employs a similar system.

According to Alexis Lanternier, CEO of Deezer: “We have reached a pivotal moment, but we have the technology to keep track of the development, and an ambition to do what’s right. If the industry can align and come together to create shared standards, we can build a healthy and sustainable music ecosystem, where great music wins.”

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Watch Commonwealth Games 2026 live streams

Seventeen gold medals are being contested on Day 8 of the 2026 Commonwealth Games (Thursday, 30 July), across three disciplines: athletics (6.30pm-10pm BST), weightlifting (9.30am-12pm, 2pm-4.30pm, 6.30pm-9pm) and track cycling (4pm-7pm).

There's plenty of netball and bowls to feast your eyes on too. The weightlifting programme, incidentally, comes to an end today.

Jessica Hull, one of the faces of the Games, will be in action in two events today: the opening round of the Women's One Mile at 12.05pm BST, followed by the Women's 5000m final at 9.18pm. There are high hopes for record-breaking performances in the Women’s 100m Hurdles and Men’s Shot Put too.

The 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games, which has a slightly different feel to it owing to a dramatic reshuffle. It was originally supposed to have been staged in Victoria, but when the Australian state pulled out a complete cancellation looked inevitable until the Scottish government rode in to the rescue.

It's a pared-back affair, however, comprising only 10 disciplines rather than the 24 it incorporated four years ago.

Still, Mollie O’Callaghan, Josh Kerr, Kyle Chalmers and Shericka Jackson are bringing world-class pedigree to west-central Scotland.

Follow our guide below for where to watch Commonwealth Games 2026 live streams from anywhere with a VPN. We've also listed the full Glasgow 2026 medal timetable, schedule and list of Commonwealth Games sports below.

Commonwealth Games Day 6 timetable

(All times BST)

🗓 Day 8 – Thursday, 30 July

🏅 Medal events:

9.30am – Weightlifting | Men's 110kg final

2pm – Weightlifting | Women's +86kg final

4pm – Track cycling | Women's tandem B sprint finals (1)

4.08pm – Track cycling | Men's tandem B 1000m time trial final

4.36pm – Track cycling | Women's 4000m team pursuit final

5.14pm – Track cycling | Women's C4-5 4000m individual pursuit final

5.28pm – Track cycling | Men's 4000m team pursuit final

6.10pm – Track cycling | Women's team sprint final

6.20pm – Track cycling | Men's team sprint final

6.30pm – Weightlifting | Men's +110kg final

7pm – Athletics | Men's shot put final

7.08pm – Athletics | Men's Decathlon high jump

7.25pm – Athletics | Women's triple jump final

7.34pm – Athletics | Women's 100m T45-47 final

7.45pm – Athletics | Men's 100m T11/12 final

8.40pm – Athletics | Women's discus final

9pm – Athletics | Men's Decathlon 400m

9.18pm – Athletics | Women's 5000m final

9.49pm – Athletics | Women's 100m hurdles final

How can I watch Commonwealth Games 2026 for free?

Lucky viewers fans in Australia and Canada can watch Commonwealth Games 2026 for free, courtesy of 7Plus and CBC Gem.

Limited free Commonwealth Games coverage is available from ThreeNow in New Zealand.

Free-to-air 5 is providing daily Commonwealth Games highlights in the UK, where S4C and BBC Alba have free Welsh-language and Gaelic-language coverage.

If you're from one of these countries but are currently abroad, you can simply use a VPN to tap into that free Glasgow 2026 coverage. More details below...

Watch Commonwealth Games 2026 live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular Commonwealth Games 2026 live streams while traveling abroad. The platform will detect that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch Glasgow 2026 from anywhere in the world.

We rate NordVPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sports. It offers a generous 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

How to watch Commonwealth Games 2026 in the US

BeIN Sports has secured a late deal to broadcast Commonwealth Games 2026 in the US.

A beIN Sports Connect streaming subscription costs $5.99 per month.

If you're currently spending time in the US from Australia or Canada, use a good VPN, as detailed above, to tap into your free Commonwealth Games coverage,

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Watch Commonwealth Games 2026 live streams in the UK

Commonwealth Games 2026 is being shown on TNT Sports in the UK, with live streaming available via HBO Max.

To access Glasgow 2026 coverage, you'll need the TNT Sports subscription, which starts at £30.99 per month.

Free-to-air S4C and BBC Alba are providing Welsh-language and Gaelic-language coverage, which is available to live stream via BBC iPlayer.

Free daily highlights are available from 5.

Outside the UK for the Commonwealth Games? Use NordVPN to tune in as if you were back at home.

Watch Commonwealth Games 2026 live streams in Australia

Commonwealth Games 2026 is free-to-air in Australia on Channel 7, with live streaming available via the 7Plus streaming service and app.

Again, you'll need to use a safe, reliable VPN to access 7Plus when traveling abroad.

Commonwealth Games 2026 schedule

(All times BST)

🗓 Day 9 – Friday, 31 July

🏅 Medal events:

4pm – Judo | Women's -48kg

4pm – Judo | Men's -60kg

4pm – Judo | Women's -52kg

4pm – Judo | Men's -66kg

4pm – Judo | Women's -57kg

4.33pm – Track cycling | Women's 4000m individual pursuit final

5.15pm – Track cycling | Men's C1-3 1000m time trial final

5.56pm – Track cycling | Women's 10km scratch race final

6.16pm – Track cycling | Men's 4000m individual pursuit final

6.41pm – Track cycling | Women's sprint final (1)

7.13pm – Track cycling | Men's Keirin final

7.23pm – Track cycling | Men's elimination race final

7pm – Athletics | Men's Decathlon javelin

7.05pm – Athletics | Men's 10,000m race walk final

7.08pm – Athletics | Women's pole vault final

8.05pm – Athletics | Women's long jump T37/38 final

8.15pm – Athletics | Men's javelin final

8.25pm – Athletics | Women's 800m final

8.35pm – Athletics | Men's Decathlon 1500m

8.52pm – Athletics | Women's 400m hurdles final

9pm – Athletics | Men's 400m hurdles final

9.25pm – Athletics | Men's 200m final

9.46pm – Athletics | Women's 200m final

🗓 Day 10 – Saturday, 1 August

🏅 Medal events:

10.05am – Athletics | Men's shot put F55-57 final

10.10am – Athletics | Men's triple jump final

10.20am – Athletics | Men's 1500m T53/54 final

10.30am – Athletics | Women's 10,000m race walk final

11.50am – Athletics | Men's discus final

12pm – Athletics | Men's 400m final

12.20pm – Athletics | Women's 400m final

1.24pm – Athletics | Women's 200m T37/38 final

11am – Boxing | Women's bantamweight 54kg final

11.15am – Boxing | Women's featherweight 57kg final

11.30am – Boxing | Women's welterweight 65kg final

11.45am – Boxing | Men's bantamweight 55kg final

12pm – Boxing | Men's welterweight 65kg final

12.15pm – Boxing | Men's light-middleweight 70kg final

12.30pm – Boxing | Men's heavyweight 90kg final

3pm – Track cycling | Men's tandem B sprint final (1)

3.16pm – Track cycling | Women's tandem B 1000m time trial final

3.55pm – Track cycling | Women's 25km point race final

4.33pm – Track cycling | Women's 1000m time trial final

5.32pm – Track cycling | Men's sprint final (1)

6.20pm – Track cycling | Men's 10km scratch race final

4pm – Judo | Men's -73kg

4pm – Judo | Women's -63kg

4pm – Judo | Men's -81kg

4pm – Judo | Women's -70kg

4pm – Judo | Men's -90kg

4.30pm – Boxing | Women's flyweight 51kg final

4.45pm – Boxing | Women's lightweight 60kg final

5pm – Boxing | Women's light-middleweight 70kg final

5.15pm – Boxing | Women's middleweight 75kg final

5.30pm – Boxing | Men's lightweight 60kg final

5.45pm – Boxing | Men's light-heavyweight 80kg final

6pm – Boxing | Men's super-heavyweight +90kg final

7.05pm – Athletics | Men's pole vault final

7.10pm – Athletics | Women's long jump final

7.28pm – Athletics | Women's 400m T54 final

7.35pm – Athletics | Women's javelin final

7.45pm – Athletics | Men's 5000m final

8.15pm – Athletics | Men's 4x100m relay final

8.26pm – Athletics | Women's 4x100m relay final

8.45pm – Athletics | Men's 800m final

8.55pm – Athletics | Men's 1-mile final

9.20pm – Athletics | Mixed 4x400m relay final

9.45pm – Athletics | Women's 1-mile final

🗓 Day 11 – Sunday, 2 August

🏅 Medal events:

9am – Netball | Bronze medal game

11.21am – Track cycling | Men's 1000m time trial final

9am – Bowls | Men's pairs final

10.25am – Bowls | Women's pairs B6–8 final

11.50am – Bowls | Men's pairs B6–8 final

1.15pm – Bowls | Women's singles final

1pm – Netball | Final

3pm – Judo | Women's -78kg

3pm – Judo | Men's -100kg

3pm – Judo | Women's +78kg

3pm – Judo | Men's +100kg

3pm – Track cycling | Women's elimination race final

3.20pm – Track cycling | Men's C1-3 3000m individual pursuit final

4pm – Track cycling | Women's Keirin final

4.10pm – Track cycling | Women's C4-5 1000m time trial final

4.39pm – Track cycling | Men's 40km point race final

Closing Ceremony

What are the Commonwealth Games 2026 sports?

3x3 basketball

Artistic gymnastics

Athletics

Bowls

Boxing

Judo

Netball

Para powerlifting

Swimming

Track cycling

Weightlifting

• Fancy an upgrade? Here are the best TVs
• Or save money with these unmissable cheap TV deals
• Where to watch F1 2026 for free

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Most movies would be lucky to have just one scene that’s considered an all-time classic, so the fact that Michael Mann’s Heat has two is just plain greedy – but only one of them is likely to earn you noise complaints from the neighbours.

Released in 1995, Heat united two Hollywood heavyweights for the first time. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino had both starred in The Godfather Part II in the mid-’70s but never actually shared the screen, so while Heat’s unrehearsed diner scene where the two face-off is certainly iconic, it won’t test your home cinema system like the film’s other most memorable moment.

Almost two hours into the film, De Niro’s Neil McCauley leads a small team of bank robbers on a heist that could net them a cool $12m if they manage to pull it off. And it seems to be going as planned until it comes to the getaway, when all hell breaks loose on the streets of downtown LA.

What’s most immediately striking is just how loud Heat’s heist sequence is. Even when you know it’s coming, the explosion of noise when Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer) opens fire on the police outside the bank is almost enough to make you jump clear out of your seat.

McCauley’s crew are armed with assault rifles, and in the film-makers’ quest for realism they chose to load them with full-load blanks, which means they use the same amount of gunpowder as real shells.

If you’ve got the volume cranked up, each volley of gunfire is a complete assault on the senses, and you should really be able to hear the difference between the weapons as the three thieves battle against Pacino’s detective Vincent Hanna, and what appears to be the entire LAPD.

Bullets pierce cop car bodywork as if it’s made of paper, while windscreens burst like balloons full of broken glass, with everything echoing off the surrounding office blocks and creating a wall of noise that puts most war films to shame.

Heat isn’t just a great test for the best soundbars or surround sound systems either, there’s plenty here for your eyes to feast on too.

Available to stream in 4K HDR, Heat is famous for its steely blue colour palette and is packed with scenes that juxtapose almost pitch darkness with the bright lights of LA’s seedier side.

You’ll need a TV that’s capable of drawing the detail out of dark scenes to really see what’s going on when Hanna and his team stake out the scene of an attempted break-in in the dead of night, or when McCauley pays a visit to the home of a suspected snitch.

The final shadowy showdown between the two alpha males takes place around the runways at Los Angeles International Airport, where dazzlingly bright lights periodically illuminate the Tarmac for approaching planes, making it a brilliant test for your TV’s contrast.

As with McCauley and his crew’s scores, time is very much of the essence here. Heat is only available to stream on Prime Video for the next two days before it disappears into thin air, so catch it while you still can.

Stream Heat on Amazon Prime Video

For even better quality, buy the Heat 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

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CD sales have increased by 16 per cent in the US during the first half of 2026, outpacing vinyl, which grew by just 2.4 per cent in the same period.

Figures released as part of a biannual report by the data company Luminate showed that CDs sold 16.3 million units in the country between January and the end of June. Notably, however, vinyl remains the more popular physical medium in terms of overall sales, with 21.8 million units sold.

Luminate attributes part of the surge in CD sales to the release of ARIRANG, an album by K-pop group BTS, which sold 516,000 physical copies in its first week. 208,000 of the album’s physical sales were on vinyl.

According to Luminate, the album’s first week vinyl sales are the largest by a contemporary group since the data company started tracking sales electronically in 1991.

But remove BTS and the wider K-pop catalogue from the picture and CD sales still outpaced vinyl, with a growth of 6.7 per cent. So, what else could have provoked the surge?

Not long ago, we wrote about the effect that Gen Z are having on the physical sales market. Luminate’s report sheds further light on the matter, revealing that young people’s motivations aren’t limited to listening, with approximately half of Gen Z and millennials who bought a CD not owning a CD player.

According to Luminate: “This behavior underscores that for younger generations, the act of buying physical music is as much about aesthetic ownership and direct financial support for the artist as it is listening to the music on the product itself.”

Among Gen X, on the other hand, 55 per cent of buyers cited nostalgia as a direct influence on their CD purchases.

But sentimental value and affordable merchandise aren’t the only drivers here – listening habits are also changing. In the first half of 2026, 60 per cent of Gen Z listeners reported listening to music from the 1990s or earlier, in a jump of 42 per cent since 2021.

While physical sales continue to grow, it’s worth noting that they do so alongside streaming, rather than as a replacement. So far this year, US audio streams have grown by 11.8 per cent, while global on demand audio streams have risen by 9.8 percent.

So, streaming continues to dominate the landscape, but it seems that physical formats like CD are increasingly being chosen for their collectibility and improved financial connection to artists; motivations that any music lover should find hard to sniff at.

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Streaming can feel like fantastic value, with huge libraries of movies and TV shows available for a relatively low monthly fee.

But when you add up the cost of a full year of access, especially to multiple services, the picture starts to look rather different.

How different? We've crunched the numbers, and the results might surprise you.

Paying the price

Streaming isn't that expensive in the grand scheme of things – the top, all-singing, all-dancing tiers of Netflix and Disney+, for example, cost £18.99 and £14.99 a month, respectively.

Many people (though clearly not all) probably don't even notice that coming out of their bank account each month. But while these prices might seem relatively low, they soon add up.

Here's what you'll pay over a year for the top subscription (we hate ads and love 4K / Dolby Atmos) of each streaming service:

Watching the costs add up

The annual cost of TV streaming services

Price

Netflix

227.88

Disney+

179.88

Amazon Prime Video

119.88

Apple TV

119.88

Mubi

227.88

Shudder

59.88

Crunchyroll

83.88

Paramount+

131.88

075150225300

£

Price Data

Product	Value
Netflix	227.88
Disney+	179.88
Amazon Prime Video	119.88
Apple TV	119.88
Mubi	227.88
Shudder	59.88
Crunchyroll	83.88
Paramount+	131.88

For the equivalent of an annual Netflix subscription, you could buy 11 4K Blu-rays at £20 a pop (more if they're on a deal, as they often are). That's nearly one a month.

There are other factors to consider. Most of us have more than one streaming service because of their different content libraries, which makes the habit even more expensive. And with life having a tendency to get in the way, some months we won't watch very much at all.

Suddenly, it doesn't seem such great value.

Admittedly, you do get unlimited viewing of the streamer's entire catalogue, but you never own any of it – if you cancel your subscription, all of your favourite films and TV shows are gone, just like that.

Also remember that some services (Prime Video, we're looking at you) charge extra for certain films and shows not included in the subscription price. So you could end up paying more on top.

Let's have a look at what this looks like over five years and a decade.

And these are at today's prices. Price rises are a given – Netflix has increased its prices in the UK four times since 2021. Take more than one service, and you're looking at a hefty bill.

Someone with Netflix and Disney+, for example, will pay over £400 a year, over £2000 in five years and a whopping £4000 in a decade.

Consider that a 4K Blu-ray costs around £20-25, gives you better picture and sound quality and is yours to keep forever, and streaming starts to look like very poor value indeed.

And that's before you consider how streaming changes your relationship with the content itself.

Faced with an endless carousel of content, all of which feels free (even though it isn't), you inevitably adopt the infinite scroll mentality – even if you like the look of something, you keep searching in case there's something better.

It all becomes disposable, with low-budget fare such as Is It Cake? sitting alongside critically acclaimed films such as Emilia Pérez. When everything is flattened, nothing stands out. This is the landscape we find ourselves in.

There's no curation; that's the problem. Whereas a Blu-ray is a considered purchase – something you'll watch more than once, in the best possible quality, and may even work your way through its extensive list of special features. Now that's value for money.

A word on our methodology

We've made certain assumptions here. As mentioned, we've based our prices on the best possible picture and sound quality for each service (though not the family plans, which would push prices up even further), as we assume that's what our readers desire. Most streaming services have cheaper tiers if you're willing to suffer worse quality and adverts.

Some services can also be bundled together to save money, such as Netflix and Disney+ with Sky. Though that means paying for Sky as well.

Some (such as Disney+ and Shudder) also offer annual plans, which are cheaper than paying month by month. But then you're locked in for a set period, instead of having the flexibility to cancel your membership at any time.

Prime Video is cheaper for Prime members, though that comes with its own cost. And Mubi's Go plan (which we've used in our calculations) includes a cinema ticket each week, so you can remember what it's like to watch a film properly.

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Watch The Hundred 2026 live streams

A quirky 100-ball format with five-ball overs that began in 2021 is back for its most anticipated edition yet, as The Hundred 2026 brings a host of exciting updates. Following an influx of more than £500 million into the competition in 2025, everyone from IPL franchise owners to England football star Jude Bellingham has bought into the tournament.

It's a double-header Wednesday! First up, Welsh Fire host Trent Rockets in Cardiff, with the women's match starting at 11:30am BST, followed by the men's clash at 3pm BST. Next comes the London derby, as MI London take on London Spirit at the Kia Oval, with the women's match at 3pm BST and the men's game at 6:30pm BST.

Follow our guide below for where to watch The Hundred 2026 live streams online and on TV wherever you are.

Can I watch The Hundred 2026 for free?

Cricket fans in the UK are in luck!

As many as 16 games of The Hundred 2026, including the MI London vs Sunrisers Leeds opener and the final (men and women both), will be shown completely FREE on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

Elsewhere, unfortunately, The Hundred 2026 isn't free-to-air anywhere in the world, at least not directly.

We have, however, found a sneaky little trick cricket fans Down Under can use to watch a few matches completely FREE. The trick? Kayo Sports, which comes with a 7-day free trial for new Australian users.

You'll need a VPN to prevent you from getting geoblocked if you're abroad right now. We recommend NordVPN.

How to watch any The Hundred 2026 live streams using a VPN

You won't be able to watch your regular The Hundred 2026 live streams while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch any The Hundred 2026 live stream from anywhere in the world.

We rate NordVPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sport. It offers a generous 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

How to watch The Hundred 2026 live streams in the US

In the US, dedicated cricket streaming service Willow TV is the place to watch The Hundred 2026.

If you don't have it as part of your cable package, you can watch Willow's coverage through your choice of Sling TV's Desi Binge Plus or Dakshin Flex plans – starting from $10 per month.

Not in the US right now? Use NordVPN to watch your regular cricket stream.

• Expert TV advice: best OLED TVs for sports fans
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How to watch The Hundred 2026 live streams in the UK

Sky Sports holds the rights to The Hundred 2026 in the UK, with live coverage of every single game available on Sky Sports Cricket.

Prices start at £20 per month at present. However, fans can also tune in using a NOW Sports 24-hour pass, which costs £14.99.

But a total of 16 The Hundred 2026 matches are free-to-air in the UK, on BBC Two for cable TV loyalists and on BBC iPlayer for cord-cutters.

BBC iPlayer is FREE, but you will need to create an account, have a valid U.K. postcode (e.g. SE1 7PB) and a TV license.

Outside the UK right now? Use NordVPN to access your preferred coverage of the cricket.

How to watch The Hundred 2026 live streams in India

In India, The Hundred 2026 is available to watch on the Star Sports Network on TV and online on JioHotstar.

Subscriptions to JioHotstar start from just Rs. 79/month (around $0.85 USD). You can just get an annual package for just Rs. 499 ($5.40 USD).

If you're currently out of India but want to watch a The Hundred 2026 live stream, you'll need to get yourself a VPN, as per the instructions above.

How to watch The Hundred 2026 live streams in Australia

In Australia, The Hundred 2026 games are available to watch on Fox Cricket via Foxtel, with live streaming available via Kayo Sports.

Kayo Sports starts at AU$30 per month after a 7-day free trial. Or you can get your first month for AU$1.

Outside Australia right now? Use NordVPN to access your preferred The Hundred 2026 coverage.

The Hundred 2026: FAQs

Preview

The Northern Superchargers have become Sunrisers Leeds, the Oval Invincibles are now known as MI London, and the Manchester Originals have become the Manchester Super Giants. While Southern Brave have retained their original name, they'll now don a blue-and-red kit to align with their new owners, Delhi Capitals.

Other changes include an increase in the number of overseas players allowed in the playing XI from three to four, as well as the introduction of a combined men's and women's trophy to be awarded to the franchise that performs best across both competitions.

The tournament also saw its first-ever player auction earlier this year, with Sussex all-rounder James Coles going for £390k and England stars Nat Sciver-Brunt and Lauren Bell earning £140k each. The biggest payday went to England men's captain Harry Brook – fresh off T20I and ODI series victories over India – who was signed pre-auction by Sunrisers Leeds for £460k.

• Fancy an upgrade? Here are the best TVs
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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Apple Music just got more expensive. The music streaming service is now £11.99 / $11.99 / AU$14.99 for the Individual plan – that's £1 / $1 / AU$2 a month pricier than before.

It's not the only streaming service hiking its prices lately. Tidal recently announced its prices will go up next month, while Spotify raised its prices at the start of this year.

Here are the new prices for Apple Music.

However, even with the price rise, Apple Music remains cheaper than Spotify and Tidal in most plans and most territories. The student plan remains unchanged in the UK at £5.99 a month.

This is Apple Music's first price rise in four years. Apple recently raised the price of some of its devices – including the Apple TV 4K and HomePod 2 – citing the global RAM shortage.

Annual price rises are swiftly becoming the new norm for streaming services. Spotify has raised its UK prices three times since 2023.

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I don’t know about you, but I’m rather excited to see The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s cinematic take on Homer’s peerless epic poem.

Ignoring all of the tedious internet chatter and naysaying from self-appointed experts who really should take the time, in the very spirit of their beloved wandering Greek hero, to go outside and touch some grass, early signs point to the blockbuster to end all blockbusters. Reviews seem positive, to say the least.

Nolan at the helm? Check. A star-studded cast working at the top of their respective games? Check. One of western literature’s greatest stories providing the riveting source material? You betcha’.

“But they’re not using the original overlapping bronze armour, and those helmets should be made of boar hide. And why does Odysseus have an American accent?”

Go dump yourself in the River Styx.

I’ll be booking my tickets to The Odyssey as soon as I can, and while my optimism might end up crashing down like the walls of once-glittering Troy itself, I’m relatively confident that you should be doing the same.

Forget Avengers: Doomsday, the cinematic event of the year is here!

The second-best composer named Ludwig

I’m excited for all of those aforementioned reasons of director, production and cast, but I’m also keen to see The Odyssey on the big screen because it once again brings together two of cinema’s most potent trump cards: Christopher Nolan and his composer du jour, Ludwig Göransson.

Nolan has recruited the services of the ever-enthralling Hans Zimmer for many of his greatest barnstormers, including the Dark Knight saga and Interstellar, with Göransson latterly becoming a sort of Zimmer 2.0 as he begins to forge his own reputation as one of the world’s premier composers.

This is the man who did the music for Disney Plus’s The Mandalorian and, under Nolan’s charge, Oppenheimer. Projects don’t get much bigger than that.

The Oppenheimer score is, while we’re on the subject, truly worthy of the movie which it accompanies – we use Can You Hear The Music regularly as a track for testing home cinema and hi-fi – but it is Göransson’s work on the lesser-know (certainly less-understood) blockbuster Tenet that has me setting sail on my Trireme and making for the multiplex to discover what the Swedish composer can do for The Odyssey.

If you’ve seen Tenet, you’ll know exactly the sort of challenges which must have faced Mr. Göransson as he prepared to give it his best. About as confusing as trying to solve a Rubik’s cube inside a hall of mirrors, it stands alone as one of the most mind-bending and elliptical of all of Nolan’s creations.

When you consider this is the man who gave the world Memento and Inception, that’s some feat.

A soundtrack built to last

Thankfully, the accompanying score is a triumph, and one I use often whenever I’m digging deep into the capabilities of a new pair of headphones or a box-fresh (but properly run-in, of course) amplifier. In fact, it’s become something of an obsession even when I’m outside the test rooms – a sort of musical comfort blanket that I don’t seem to be able to take off.

POSTERITY is the track that has lodged the deepest roots in my psyche – so much so that I’ll often simply whack it on without thinking whenever I have a spare moment of silence which needs filling, lest the voices are given room to make themselves heard.

At nearly 13 minutes long, it is by far the longest track across the Tenet score, yet what’s remarkable about POSTERITY is that not a second feels wasted across what is a sprawling, Herculean runtime.

That obviously means you’ll need to set aside quite a bit of time if you’re using it for testing; but the reward is worth the considerable effort. POSTERITY, in the same vein as Hans Zimmer’s Supermarine (written for another Nolan movie, Dunkirk), is all about the progression, about the slow but inexorable build-up as it rises and swells from glowing embers to a roaring, engulfing blaze.

Not once is that repetitiveness ever dull. POSTERITY has such a potent sense of momentum that it enraptures from its first note, hooking you in by virtue of its unrelenting intensity and strange, hypnotic instrumentation. I have previously described some of the sound produced as being like a zither being whacked with a bit of old drainpipe, and in truth, I’m yet to come up with a better description.

Drainpipe and zither it is.

There’s a lot, then, for your system to capture. Not only that inexorable build as the composition becomes denser and more intense, but the very particular tone and feel of the piece conjured by its oddball instrumentation and unique soundscape. It’s also a treat if you want to see how your system conveys both small-scale and big-picture dynamics, from the chuntering analogue synthesisers to the intermittent stabs of drums and pianos.

Or it might just be one piano, singular.

You don’t have to stop at POSTERITY, either. FREEPORT recruits those strange zither-like synths to great effect, again trading on continuous instrumental loops punctuated by intermittent percussive whacks and electronic pulses to keep your system’s dynamic reproduction honest.

Or, if you want something quieter and more delicate, the sparseness of THE PROTAGONIST is well worth seeking out, offering up woozy synth rumbles accompanied by a rich, mysterious guitar.

RAINY NIGHT IN TALLINN makes for a similarly keen showcase of how well a system or set-up can really put a piece of music together. It bounds constantly between a mesh of styles and tones in a manner that is as bamboozling as Tenet’s very subject matter.

RAINY NIGHT accompanies the movie’s intense ‘opera siege’ opening scene, so if you want the full audio visual experience, seek it out to see how sound and screen work together in harmony.

As an aside, it’s well worth watching Tenet for its peculiar use of music and non-diegetic sound. For instance, the accompanying soundtrack will often be too loud or overbearing as a way of expressing – or perhaps masking – the mood and intentions of the characters on-screen. Check out this scene in particular and you’ll get the idea.

Music maketh movie(s)

Music is just as important to a great movie as anything on the screen itself – Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton aside, sound and sight go hand in hand when delivering the true masterpieces of modern cinema.

Where would Star Wars have been without John Williams? How diminished would the Lord of the Rings trilogy become without Howard Shore? Where is Sergio Leone without Ennio Morricone?

While the prospect of Christopher Nolan directing an adaptation of Homer's Odyssey is sufficient to have most right-headed people champing at the bit to get to book a screening, the addition of Ludwig Göransson providing the music should be more than enough to have you hammering on the doors of your local Cineworld as if they were the gates of Ilium itself.

Around this time last year, my local cinema closed – seemingly for good. Defying all odds, its doors are once again open, meaning I’ll be able to experience for myself the sights and sounds of Nolan’s epic adaptation in all of the 12-channel, Dolby Atmos-powered glory. It’s not quite the Waterloo IMAX, but it’s the next best thing.

The Odyssey has all the makings of a milestone cinematic event. Now that it’s finally in cinemas, I can’t wait to see – and hear it – for myself.

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The biggest sporting event on the planet has arrived as the World Cup final hits our screens.

In 2026, it's Spain taking on Argentina as Lionel Messi looks to help his country win successive titles after lifting the trophy in 2022.

Stay up to date with all the action right here, with live updates and free streams as we bring you coverage of the World Cup final.

World Cup Final: The Essentials

• Date: 19 July 2026
• Kick-Off: 8pm BST / 3pm ET / 5am AEST
• Free Streams: BBC iPlayer / ITVX (UK) | SBS On Demand (AUS)
• US Stream: FOX / Telemundo
• Unlock your free streams with Norton VPN (100% risk free)

Ready for the World Cup final?

Welcome to New Jersey!

Thanks for joining us on the big day: the World Cup 2026 final!

MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, a suburb of New York City, will be where the action kicks off at 8pm BST. Spain and Argentina, the two best teams of the tournament with France dropping off the radar in their last two games, will face each other in what promises to be a match for the ages.

Who will ultimately triumph? Stay with us here from now until the match concludes and we'll bring you all the action.

Messi v Yamal

The Argentinian captain and - possibly still the greatest of all time - Messi and the Spanish teenage superstar Yamal are both front and centre for their countries today.

Bizarrely there's also a photo of Messi holding Yamal as a baby for a charity photoshoot that has been doing the rounds. Now, there paths cross all these years later for a final showdown.

Yamal has not really delivered yet this tournament - only one goal and no assists to his name - whereas Messi is chasing the Golden Boat with his current 8 goals to Mbappe's 10.

So, who will come out on top?

How to watch the match wherever you are

Not figured out how you're going to watch the game yet?

Based in the UK? You have a choice of BBC iPlayer for which you'll need a TV licence or ITVX. If you're based down under, then you're best bet is SBS On Demand and for our American viewers head ton FOX / Telemundo.

Not based in any of these countries? No worries, you can still watch it on these services but first ensure you unlock your free streams with Norton VPN (100% risk free).

The race for the Golden Boot

So, Messi needs to score two goals to equalise Mbappe and get another goal or assist to go ahead of him.

If he gets two goals but no assists then they'll be tied and it'll go down to fewest minutes played...so there's a lot riding on Messi for this final World Cup game.

Never rule out Messi though.

2 hours until kickoff!

We're inching closer to the Spain v Argentina kickoff.

If it's even a shadow of the already iconic France v Argentina World Cup final from 2022 - three goals each and then penalties - we're in for a treat.

It could equally be a testy match as both sides don't want to concede...but that's not Spain's style to be fair.

Stick with us as we bring more news as we get it.

Euros winner v World Cup winner

So, Spain who are the most recent winner of the last Euros will play the most recent winner of the most recent World Cup...who will win?

The smart money would be on Argentina who want to make this two consecutive World Cups and make it a big sendoff for potentially Messi's last one.

But never rule out the consistent Spanish...

Another 10 goal game?

For those who were watching the Bronze final yesterday - a rather stupidly renamed match that no one wanted to play - it turned out to be an incredible game.

France v England could have been a nonstarter of a game but with England dominating the first half 4-0 and then France nearly catching up 4-3 in the second half before a Saka penalty, another French goal and then a Bellingham last minute masterclass, it was anything but!

No one could have been predicted a 10 goal game, and while we may not see that goal tally today fingers crossed for that same thrilling play.

England went out with a bang last night but will both of tonight's teams?

Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul in training

Yesterday saw Argentina take to their final training session before today's final in Morristown, New Jersey.

Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul lead the Argentina team and look to take them to their next World Cup victory today.

One hour until kick off!

Not too much longer until the game kicks off, don't go anywhere!

We'll walk through both team's Starting XI and everything else you need to know before both teams start very soon...

Closing time for the World Cup

It's nearly curtains up for another four years at the World Cup and it's been an incredible tournament.

Many were sceptical about more countries and more games but we've seen some fascinating matches such as Cape Verde's underdog attempt to go all the way, the rise of a new American team who are actually good and some last minute nail-biters.

We've also seen some shocking VAR/ref decisions and the most blatant corruption from Infantino regarding Balogun's red card. So, it probably balances out.

But all that doesn't matter as it's all come down to this final game...

Starting XI's announced

Well, here are the teams...

Argentina Starting XI

(4-4-2): Dibu Martínez; Montiel, Romero, Lisandro, Tagliafico; De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Mac Allister, Nico González; Messi, Julián Álvarez.

Spain Starting XI

(4-2-3-1): Unai Simón; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Fabián Ruiz; Alex Baena, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal; Oyarzabal.

Spain's World Cup stats

Considering how dominant Spain have been this tournament you'd be forgiven for thinking they'd have racked up a few World Cups already.

They've only been in the final and won once. The same amount as England.

To put that in perspective they won in 2010 against the Netherlands and that's all they've got in their back pocket. They've won the Euros four times, most recently against England, but a second World Cup win would put them on equal pegging with both France and Uruguay.

Will we see a European World Cup winner today?

Argentina's World Cup stats

Argentina are looking for a fourth World Cup win which would put them on the same number as Germany and Italy, both of whom have been on the decline in recent years.

Messi has seen them lose a World Cup final in 2014 against Germany and then win against France in 2022. Won one, lost one...will he be able to win a final World Cup for his country?

If not you sense that he'll be back aged 43 in 2030 for some unfinished business..

Seats still empty due to a glitch

Apparently due to a FIFA glitch, there are big queues outside the stadium as tickets are struggling to be scanned.

This means a lot of seats remaining unfilled at the moment which is pushing back the ceremony and potentially even the game.

It wouldn't be FIFA without some last minute scandal/muck up. You'll just have to stick with me a bit longer...

The 'entertainment' starts

They love to really milk the Star-Spangled Banner and Jennifer Hudson does just that. A fantastic singer but a very dragged out rendition.

It's a thankless job and you always get stick for singing it so fair play to her for singing it.

And now we sit through a very forgettable FIFA anthem from Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams and Laura Pausini - three people who have clearly never been in a room together. It feels like if you asked AI to write a FIFA anthem and select three singers at random.

And now Tom Cruise...being Tom Cruise

Did anyone expect Tom Cruise to make an appearance?

Wheeled out at the end of Paris 2024 to to lead the handover for LA 2028, and now released into the stadium to perform an AI-written generic speech summarising the World Cup.

You can certainly say that the hosts have certainly put their own American spin on the World Cup. For better or worse.

The teams walk on to the pitch

Enter Spain and Argentina!

They walk past the World Cup trophy to get on the pitch and show a lot of self restraint, most barely looking at the prize that they'll be desperately competing for over the next 90 minutes (maybe longer).

If you haven't already, make sure you unlock your free streams with Norton VPN (100% risk free).

Argentina bring the volume

It's unclear who actually has the most fans in the stadium but if volume is any indication it's definitely Argentina.

The European champions play the World Cup champions for the first time ever, so it promises to be a thrilling ride.

We're nearly ready for kick off!

Kick off!

Argentina kicks off proceedings.

Vamos!

Spain on the front foot

Spain are dominating proceedings, as expected, looking dangerous but kept at bay by Argentina.

Argentina now counter.

Yamal has two shots within five minutes

Spain, led by Yamal, have two tasty shots on target within the first five minutes!

But as they've already done, Argentina responded with a dangerous counter which the goalie just about stopped.

Things look set for a great game.

Spain pressing

The Spanish are looking very comfortable inside the Argentina box...could we see an early goal?

Painful memories for England

Both teams playing have brought a lot of sorrow to England fans and players.

Argentina most recently knocking out the Three Lions earlier this week in the semifinals and Spain defeating them in the Euros 2024 finals.

Having said that, England will most likely be cheering on their European neighbours and least recent tormentors. But a lot of people love Messi.

Ball possession 50/50

Ball possession has been fairly equal so far which is good for Argentina who want to disrupt Spain's usually stellar control of the game.

Nearly hydration break. Let's hear those boos.

Hydration break over

Okay, let's see some goals...

Who will score first?

In 6 of the last 7 World Cup finals, the team who has scored first has won the final...another useless stat for ya.

Regardless going one nil up is a massive psychological advantage, unless you're England and then we'll just play defensive until we concede.

Argentina defence too strong

Spain are searching for a chink in the Argentinian defence but can't get through.

This may well be a goalless first half and some stern halftime pep talks on both sides.

First yellow of the game

Argentina's Martinez picks up a yellow for a poor tackle which does ultimately slow down Spain who were progressing dangerously up the pitch.

Cucurella shoots and Matrinez down

Cucurella takes a shot on target but it's stopped by the goalie.

Martinez is down and being replaced which is not great for Argentina.

We're approaching halftime and the halftime show, god help us all.

4 minutes added time

It looks unlikely we'll see a goal in the 4 minutes added time but let's see...

Goalless at halftime

It's been a tiny bit underwhelming but still some shots on target and some drama...just no goals.

Let's see if we get some Messi magic or Spanish skills in the second half...

...but first this halftime show. Let's see if the unlikely combo of BTS, Madonna and Coldplay will work and if it's worth pushing halftime up to 25 minutes.

Madonna walks on to the pitch

Madonna...and the Muppets?!

Not a duo you'd put together, singing Seven Nation Army with some Norway rowing chants (cos why not?) which was preceded by a lacklustre original song from Madonna.

And now BTS who do actually seem to get a reaction from the audience. They're really cramming a lot into a short amount of time.

Ted Lasso introduces Justin Bieber

And now, Jason Sudeikis makes a cameo as American 'soccer' coach Ted Lasso...I'm surprised it took them until the final to find a way to get America's best known and most popular football offering involved.

He intros JB who gives a bit of a downer of a song before making way to Shakira.

It's a tonal whiplash. They've obviously gone for quantity over quality.

Well, that was a halftime show

Did it justify a 25 minute extended halftime? No, but it certainly was something.

Unfair for the players having to wait around while Madonna and JB strut around the stage but there we go.

We go again!

Second half starts with a decent shot from Spain.

Start as you mean to go on.

A bit scrappy

Argentina v Spain has really turned into that.

A yellow card for Spain's Rodri as both teams square up to each other.

Spain free kick opportunity

Spain have an opportunity...and they squander it.

Maybe the final is adding nerves, maybe Argentina have proved a worthy opponent or maybe both teams have just not found their rhythm yet.

30 minutes left and extra time is rearing its head...

Spain have a shot and now a corner

Some calls for a free kick but after a deflected shot off the goalie, Spain settle for a corner...

Second hydration break

An Argentine down and a hydration break. Two bits of bad news, if you're from Argentina.

Spain are looking dominant but that's not seen any goals.

Pedri takes a shot...and misses

Maybe a little shove on the back doesn't help Pedri, but he doesn't see it go in the goal...

...but Spain aren't finished as they dominate the penalty area.

Martinez makes a good save

Spain have a shot on target...straight into the trusty gloves of Matrinez.

Argentina look a bit desperate.

Messi strolls casually around the pitch...as he will do

A quick one before full time?

Spain and Argentina are no strangers to scoring, when it counts, before full time.

Argentina broke English hearts when they did so earlier this week and against Egypt, and Spain's path to the knockout was based on stoppage time goals.

I'm calling it though: extra time stalemate.

Foul or dive?

It looks like Messi ran into a Spanish player but you could also argue it's a Spain foul.

It's a free kick, will they make it count?

Argentina down to 10 men!

Already on a yellow card, Fernandez takes a second yellow after he sends a Spanish player flying...and it's a red!

Argentina will be playing extra time with 10 men...they are on the back foot if they weren't enough already.

Another foul on Spain

Luckily Argentina avoid going down to 9 men after another dodgy tackle after a player already on a yellow makes a reckless tackle...but they've given away a free kick.

Will they seize it?

Extra time it is!

Yamal has a decent free kick that's heading in but Martinez stops it!

Extra time it is. Vamos!

30 minutes to make history

Argentina down to 10 men, it's Spain's to lose surely but 30 minutes is enough time to provide magic for either side.

If you're tuning in now and want to watch it from wherever you are, unlock your free streams with Norton VPN (100% risk free).

Martinez shows why he gets paid the big bucks

Another Spanish shot on target, a lovely header, but Martinez bats it away.

16 attempts on goal from Spain and 11 on target...and 0 attempts on goal from Argentina with 0 on target.

But if Argentina can hold on for 30 minutes they have the better track record with penalties.

Still anyone's game.

A free kick given...but the goal is not

Spain were given a free kick...but they'd already scored a goal which means it would be disallowed if this stands.

This is a big moment as the ref consults VAR.

Things are getting scrappy

Argentina coach Scaloni picks up a yellow for protesting too much from the sidelines at a controversial challenge.

The 'dark arts' are coming out now as Argentina look for any way to keep going for the next 15 minutes.

Every minute Spain don't score is an Argentine advantage.

Halftime on extra time

Final 15 minutes coming up after halftime of extra time.

The disallowed goal

Spain score!!!

Spain score!

First minute, this side of extra time halftime, sees a lovely Spanish goal from Ferran Torres.

This could be it.

Torres potentially scores the goal to win the World Cup

A goal...but offside

Torres look like he's got another goal...but the flag goes up.

Maybe a second goal is on its way for Spain but this was not it.

Williams stumbles an easy goal

Williams had a near open goal and he tried to be a bit too clever, kicking it off the pitch.

The ball goes back up the Spanish end and Messi boots it in the face of Merino. This looks painful but Argentina now have the ball, it's not over yet...

Two great opportunities for Argentina

If there was ever a chance to equalise in the dying minutes of the game, Argentina just had two.

With just 10 men and definitely the weaker team, they didn't manage to take the advantage.

3 minutes left.

Spain win!!!

They do it, Espana are victorious!

The better team won

You can't say that Spain didn't deserve to win, look at the stats and look at the last 120 minutes of football played.

Argentina were holding on and being physical - even to the point of Paredes throwing punches at the final whistle - but the talent shone through.

Maybe not the most interesting game, definitely not the Argentina v France final we saw four years ago, but it was certainly tense.

Well done Spain.

19-year-old Yamal celebrates his first World Cup win

The scrap led by Argentina's Paredes

Trump and Infantino enter...to massive boos

The awards ceremony takes place and as the two mob bosses, aka FIFA President Infantino and US President Trump, enter they are greeted with overwhelming boos.

Golden Glove goes to Unai Simon, the Spanish goalie who only conceded one goal all tournament and young player goes to the other Spanish 19-year-old who isn't Yamal: Cubarsi.

Messi can't hold back the tears

The cameras zoom in to see the tears from Argentina's Messi as Spain go up to collect their medals.

Two World Cup finals lost and one won. Not bad stats for anyone but he obviously craved the double and is thinking ahead to if he can even make 2030.

Spain raise the trophy!

What next?

Spain are now defending champions of the Euros and the World Cup...so what next?

Euros 2028 will be in the UK and Ireland and then the World Cup will be in Spain, Portugal and Morocco...favourable conditions for this team. With such a young lively squad and a proven manager it's really theirs to lose for the next tournaments, but we're still years away.

Congratulations Spain, enjoy the win.

Red and yellow: the colours of victory!

Argentine emotions run high

That's all folks!

It was barely a captivating World Cup final but it was a World Cup final. In their defence, Spain were the favourites and dominated the game and eventually found the goal after extra time halftime.

Argentina couldn't hold on to their World Cup title, Messi was denied a second World Cup, but Spain managed to secure their second ever. Well done.

Thanks for sticking with me for the last 7 hours, I've been Dan and until next time.

Watch World Cup final live streams

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final between European champions Spain and defending world champions Argentina is being billed as a clash between the master and the apprentice, as 39-year-old Lionel Messi faces Spain's teenage prodigy, Lamine Yamal, for the very first time.

De la Fuente's men have been at their offensive and defensive best throughout the tournament, having maintained a clean sheet in six of seven their matches – a new World Cup record – and have conceded just one goal throughout the competition.

Argentina, on the other hand, have repeatedly shown they can never be counted out. They came from 2-0 down to score three goals in 13 minutes against Egypt, while in the semi-final against England they equalised in the 85th minute before Martínez scored the winner in extra time.

So, will Argentina become just the third nation after Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962) to win back-to-back World Cups, or can Spain lift the trophy for only the second time after their triumph in 2010?

Follow our guide below for where to watch Spain vs Argentina live streams from anywhere with a VPN.

How to watch World Cup final for free

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is free-to-air in multiple countries:

• UK: BBC iPlayer / ITVX (English commentary)
• Australia: SBS On Demand (English commentary)
• Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube (no account required)
• Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• Canada: CTV (TV provider details required)
• France: M6
• Germany: ZDF
• Ireland: RTE Player (English commentary)
• Italy: Rai
• Netherlands: NOS
• New Zealand: TVNZ+
• Spain: RTVE
• Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• Turkey: TRT

If you're from one of these countries but are currently abroad and want to watch Spain vs Argentina live, you can simply use a VPN. More details below...

Watch World Cup 2026 final live stream from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular Spain vs Argentina live streams while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch any World Cup 2026 live stream from anywhere in the world.

We rate Norton VPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sport. It offers a best-in-class 60-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

Watch World Cup 2026 final live stream in the US

Spain vs Argentina in the US will be shown on FOX (English commentary) and Telemundo (Spanish commentary).

If you've cut the cord, you can get these channels through a Live TV streaming option, such as Fubo or Sling.

Fox is also available via Fox One while Telemundo can be accessed on Peacock.

To access your usual streaming service from outside the US, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.

• Expert TV advice: I found all the ways to watch the World Cup in 4k

Watch World Cup 2026 final live stream in the UK

Spain vs Argentina is free to watch in the UK on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, as well as ITVX.

All you need is a valid TV license and an account to stream the match from anywhere, completely FREE.

Outside the UK? Use Norton VPN to watch as if you were back at home.

Watch World Cup 2026 final live stream in Australia

Spain vs Argentina will be broadcast for free in Australia, thanks to SBS.

Cord-cutters can catch all the action via the SBS On Demand streaming service and app.

Again, you'll need to use a safe, reliable VPN to access SBS On Demand when traveling abroad.

Watch World Cup 2026 final live stream in Canada

Football fans in Canada can watch Spain vs Argentina free on CTV.

Remember, CTV will require TV provider login details for you to watch the game for free.

The match will also be available to watch on TSN, as well as its online streaming platform TSN+, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.

Traveling outside Canada? Use Norton VPN to watch as if you were back at home.

World Cup Final: Need to know

• Fancy an upgrade? Here are the best TVs
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• Where to find the best Formula E live stream

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We’ve all been recipients of disapproving head shakes after asking the DJ for a particular tune… haven’t we?

Well, gone are the days of disc-jockey rejections, because Spotify has introduced an AI feature that allows paid users to control the app with their voice (and text) in order to create playlists, learn about songs, and even explore their own listening history.

The “Talk to Spotify” feature is available within the Home and Now Playing views on the mobile app. To use the feature, users have to press the mic button in the search field, and can then talk or type commands.

If you’re a fan of streaming music, you’ll be aware that there has been much recent discourse about cutting down on AI in the world of streaming services.

Just last month, Tidal joined Deezer and Qobuz in a clampdown on AI generated music, and even Spotify has recently culled a batch of AI generated songs, despite the company’s boss defending AI music in the not too distant past.

But when it comes to in-app functions, it seems that Spotify is embracing the technology with open arms.

The new feature joins an existing batch of AI functions within the Spotify app, which include an AI DJ that picks music based on your listening habits, an AI playlist builder that can create custom playlists in response to prompts, and Daylist, a playlist that updates to suit the mood throughout the day.

The Talk to Spotify function is now being rolled out to Spotify Premium users aged 18 and above in the US, Ireland and Sweden across iOS and Android devices in English.

According to Spotify: “Like any beta, it’s a work in progress: responses won’t always be perfect, and your feedback directly shapes what comes next.”

So, when it comes to the UK, we will be giving the new feature a try and thinking up our action points. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

MORE

How much of your playlist is AI-generated? Find out with Deezer’s new AI music detector

Tidal is the latest streaming service to clamp down on AI music – but there's a flaw

Hi-res music streaming services compared: is Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Amazon or Apple Music better?

Remarkably, the new era of F1 is yet to experience a wet session – but that may well change at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps today. Pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli is sharing the front row of the grid with Max Verstappen, while George Russell, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton round out the front five.

Belgian Grand Prix 2026 free stream

Austria: Servus TV (FREE)
Luxembourg: RTL Play (FREE)
Belgium: RTBF Auvio (FREE)
Blocked? Watch your Belgian GP stream with a VPN

Belgian Grand Prix 2026 Schedule

(All times BST)

Sunday, 19th July
2pm – Belgian Grand Prix

Belgian Grand Prix 2026 Preview

Despite going third-fastest in Qualifying, Lando Norris is set to start from the 13th slot on the grid, having been hit with a 10-place penalty for for exceeding the permitted number of engine parts.

A chaotic couple of days have seen Antonelli top two of the three Practice sessions, Verstappen topping the timesheets in the other, and Hamilton, Verstappen and Pierre Gasly all suffer heavy crashes.

Cue a potential shower. Spa's sprawling layout means that when the rain hits, it only tends to cover a small section of the track, leaving drivers with a tyre dilemma that's been at the heart of many a chaotic Belgian Grand Prix over the years.

When Mercedes won each of the first six races of the season, few would have imagined that everything could unravel so quickly. In the space of three races, Antonelli's lead has withered away, from 66 to just 25 points. Russell may be his closest challenger, but Hamilton is only seven points behind him.

Reliability issues have now ruined two of Antonelli's races and one of Russell's, and the problem has reared its head at an especially inopportune time for Mercedes. That's because Ferrari appears to have now addressed the pace issues that plagued them early doors. Sure enough, Russell complained about straight-line issues yesterday.

Hamilton has five podiums and a victory, while Charles Leclerc is coming off his first win of the season at Silverstone, to go along with two other podium finishes. Unless the Silver Arrows are able to sort the car out quickly, they're going to continue losing momentum to the Scuderia.

Incidentally, Leclerc and Hamilton scored 21 points to Russell and Antonelli's 10 points at Spa a year ago. Leclerc made the podium, while Antonelli finished out of the points altogether.

Below we'll show you how to watch Belgian Grand Prix live streams from anywhere in the world.

Watch Belgian Grand Prix 2026 live from anywhere

Most F1 live streams are location-sensitive, which means you won't be able to access your preferred coverage when travelling abroad. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a straightforward but powerful app that lets you alter your virtual location and thus unblock any Belgian GP stream – including the free coverage in Austria, Luxembourg and Belgium.

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 Belgian GP 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 F1, you may wish to choose Austria for Servus TV.

3. Head over to Servus TV on your browser or device and enjoy the free Belgian Grand Prix live stream.

How to watch Belgian Grand Prix 2026 in 4K Ultra HD in the UK

In the UK, you can watch the Belgian Grand Prix, along with every F1 race, in 4K via Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream packs. You'll need to subscribe to an Ultra HD package and have a 4K TV.

Head over to the Sky Sports F1 Ultra HD channel to watch every race, qualifying and practice in 4K and HDR.

Need Sky? Browse today's best Sky TV deals.

F1 season pass

F1 TV Pro includes live HD coverage of every F1 practice, qualifier and race. No ad breaks.

F1 TV Pro is available in over 188 countries – but not the UK (you can use the basic 'Access' version for live timings but you can't watch any races live). F1 TV Premium is available in the US.

F1 TV Pro is available via the F1 TV website, iOS/Android apps, Roku TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Google TV and other mobile devices.

Latest F1 TV Pro prices:

• F1 TV Pro in India – $3.99/month (cheapest)
• F1 TV Pro in South Africa – $4.99/month
• F1 TV Pro in Brazil – $5.99/month
• F1 TV Pro in Netherlands – €11.90/month
• F1 TV Pro in USA – $10.99/month
• F1 TV Pro in Mexico – $129/month

Watch Belgian Grand Prix 2026 live streams in the USA

In the USA, Apple TV is showing the Belgian Grand Prix – and practice sessions are free-to-air all season.

A subscription costs $12.99 per month after a 7-day FREE trial, though better deals are available to Apple customers.

Buying an eligible Apple device, including select iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac models, gets you free Apple TV access for three months.

Apple One, which bundles Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade and 50GB of iCloud Storage, starts at $19.95 per month after a 1-month free trial.

Alternatively, for a limited time the Apple Music Student Subscription includes Apple TV, and costs $6 per month.

Watch Belgian Grand Prix 2026 live streams in Australia

Fox Sports has the rights to show every live F1 race in Australia. That means Foxtel and Kayo Sports subscribers get a front-row seat to the Belgian GP too.

Kayo offers new customers a FREE 7-day trial to test the waters, after which it starts at AU$29.99 a month for the base Standard tier. For up to 4K video quality and simultaneous streaming on up to two devices, you'll need the Kayo Premium plan for AU$45.99 a month.

Subscribers can also stream the action via Foxtel Now by adding the Sports package ($30 a month).

10Play shows free highlights of every 2026 F1 race.

Belgian Grand Prix 2026: Start Times Around The World

• Feast your eyes on the best TVs
• Splash the cash on our cheap TV deals
• Our pick of the best streaming services

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.

Watch The Open 2026 live streams

Not one, not two but three record-low rounds, a rule-breaking flashpoint and the furious fallout – The Open 2026 has had it all, and it all comes to a head at Royal Birkdale today. Sam Burns leads the way on 10-under ahead of Round 4, two strokes clear of Ryan Fox and Kim Si-woo, who are tied on 8-under.

Burns, Fox and Lucas Herbert have each shot 62 this weekend, equalling the lowest round in men's major history. Only five players had achieved the feat previously.

Herbert is in the mix too, tied with Ryan Gerard on 7-under, while Ludvig Aberg, Jackson Suber and Bryson DeChambeau are each one stroke back on 6-under. At 5-under, local hero Tommy Fleetwood is very much in the frame too, and will be cheered all the way to the clubhouse.

It's the American bruiser, however, who's stolen the show in Southport. Many had anticipated that DeChambeau would become the first multiple major winner since 1990 to miss all four cuts. Instead, the criticism has only served to fire him up.

The 32-year-old was one stroke off the lead when he walked off the 18th on Friday, only to be pulled up for "inadvertently improving his lie" when he sent his ball into thick rough on the 5th. Although a visibly irate DeChambeau claimed innocence, the footage clearly shows him trampling down long grass close to his ball.

Rory McIlroy has since hit out at DeChambeau for holding The Open "hostage", revealing that his heated exchange with the officials significantly delayed the release of Saturday's tee times.

Matt Fitzpatrick, Aaron Rai and Justin Rose, who'd entered the tournament with high hopes, each missed the cut.

Follow our guide below for where to watch The Open 2026 live streams from anywhere with a VPN.

• Watch The Open 2026: July 16-19
• Free stream: R&A TV
• US: NBC / USA Network / Peacock
• UK: Sky Sports
• AU: Kayo Sports
• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN (100% risk free)

How can I watch The Open 2026 for free

As the R&A runs both The Open Championship and the R&A TV streaming service, limited coverage will be available to watch for free on the platform, led by a quartet of Featured Groups feeds.

Viewers in the US and Australia can also use free trials to catch the action without paying a penny.

In the US, TV coverage is shared between NBC and USA Network, which you can access through DirecTV Stream (5-day free trial) and Hulu+Live TV (3-day free trial).

Alternatively, you can get Peacock with a Walmart Plus 30-day trial for $1 and watch the majority of The Open for practically nothing.

In Australia, golf fans can take advantage of Kayo Sports' 7-day free trial.

Outside your home country at the moment? Use NordVPN to unlock your free stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch The Open 2026 live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular British Open 2026 live streams while traveling abroad. The platform will detect that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch the golf from anywhere in the world.

We rate NordVPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sports. It offers a generous 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

Watch The Open 2026 2026 live streams in the US

TV coverage of The Open 2026 is split between NBC and USA Network in the US.

However, Peacock is showing the vast majority of the action, plus Featured Groups coverage.

Scroll down for the full schedule.

You'll need a Peacock Premium ($10.99/month) subscription to tune in. However, you can get the plan with a Walmart Plus 30-day trial for $1.

Alternatively, a live TV service like FuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, or the DirecTV Stream MySports Genre Pack will give you streaming access to NBC and USA Network.

Each of the options listed above comes with a free trial, allowing you to potentially watch the four-day British Open for free.

To access your usual streaming service from outside the US, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.

• Expert TV advice: best OLED TVs for sports fans

Watch The Open 2026 2026 live streams in the UK

The Open 2026 is being shown on Sky Sports in the UK, across its Main Event and Golf channels.

Need the Sky Sports lowdown before you invest? Check out our dedicated guide to all things Sky.

Outside the UK during the tournament? Use NordVPN to watch The Open as if you were back at home.

Watch The Open 2026 live streams in Australia

As usual, it is Fox Sports that has live and exclusive coverage of The Open 2026 in Australia.

If you'd prefer to live stream the action, a better alternative is Kayo Sports, which starts at AU$30. New customers, however, can try it for a month for just AU$1. Alternatively, there's a generous FREE 7-day trial available.

Again, you'll need to use a safe, reliable VPN to access Kayo Sports when traveling abroad.

Who are The Open 2026 leaders?

1 – Lucas Herbert (-10)

T2 – Kim Si-woo, Ryan Fox (-8)

T4 – Ryan Gerard, Lucas Herbert (-7)

T6 – Ludvig Aberg, Bryson DeChambeau, Jackson Suber (-6)

T9 – Tommy Fleetwood, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (-5)

What are The Open Round 4 tee times?

(All times BST)

7:40 Jesper Svensson (Swe), Keegan Bradley (US)

7:50 Matthew Southgate (Eng), Laurie Canter (Eng)

8:00 Jack McDonald (Sco), Ben Griffin (US)

8:10 Peter Uihlein (US), Kazuki Higa (Jpn)

8:20 Sepp Straka (Aut), John Parry (Eng)

8:30 Andy Sullivan (Eng), Aldrich Potgieter (SA)

8:40 Marcus Plunkett (US), Ryo Hisatsune (Jpn

8:50 Min Woo Lee (Aus), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)

9:00 Nick Taylor (Can), MJ Daffue (SA)

9:15 Eugenio Chacarra (Spa), Rickie Fowler (US)

9:25 Naoyuki Kataoka (Jpn), Thomas Detry (Bel)

9:35 JJ Spaun (US), Victor Perez (Fra)

9:45 Chris Gotterup (US), Patrick Cantlay (US)

9:55 Michael Brennan (US), Kurt Kitayama (US)

10:05 Brooks Koepka (US), Bud Cauley (US)

10:15 Alex Fitzpatrick (Eng), Pierceson Coody (US)

10:25 Corey Conners (Can), Johnny Keefer (US)

10:40 Patrick Reed (US), Adam Scott (Aus)

10:50 Michael Thorbjornsen (US), Shaun Norris (SA)

11:00 Marco Penge (Eng), Alex Noren (Swe)

11:10 Russell Henley (US), Matt Wallace (Eng)

11:20 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Collin Morikawa (US)

11:30 Jordan Smith (Eng), Rory McIlroy (NI)

11:40 Hennie du Plessis (SA), Sahith Theegala (US)

11:50 Casey Jarvis (SA), Kristoffer Reitan (Nor)

12:05 Cameron Young (US), Robert MacIntyre (Sco)

12:15 Nico Echavarria (Col), Im Sung-jae (Kor)

12:25 Jacob Bridgeman (US), Justin Thomas (US)

12:35 Max Homa (US), Alex Smalley (US)

12:45 Jose Luis Ballester (Spa), Scottie Scheffler (US)

12:55 Jon Rahm (Spa), Shane Lowry (Ire)

13:05 Cameron John (Aus), Daniel Brown (Eng)

13:15 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Kazuma Kobori (NZ)

13:30 Eric Cole (US), Xander Schauffele (US)

13:40 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Den)

13:50 Jackson Suber (US), Bryson DeChambeau (US)

14:00 Ludvig Aberg (Swe), Lucas Herbert (Aus)

14:10 Ryan Gerard (US), Kim Si-woo (Kor)

14:20 Ryan Fox (NZ), Sam Burns (US)

The Open 2026 schedule

Thursday, July 16
Peacock: 1:30am – 4am ET
USA Network: 4am – 3:30pm ET

Friday, July 17
Peacock: 1:30am – 4am ET
USA Network: 4am – 3:30pm ET

Saturday, July 18
USA Network: 5am – 7am ET
NBC, Peacock: 7:30am – 3pm ET

Sunday, July 19
USA Network: 4am – 7am ET
NBC, Peacock: 7am – 2pm ET

Who are the recent The Open winners?

2025: Scottie Scheffler
2024: Xander Schauffele
2023: Brian Harman
2022: Cameron Smith
2021: Collin Morikawa
2019: Shane Lowry
2018: Francesco Molinari
2017: Jordan Spieth
2016: Henrik Stenson
2015: Zach Johnson

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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Apple has officially launched the public beta programme for its 2026 software releases, which includes early access to tvOS 27.

The forthcoming update introduces a bevvy of new features and performance upgrades, including Hi-Res Lossless playback in Apple Music, a redesigned Podcasts app, a more responsive Control Centre, and faster wireless connections to other Apple devices (including HomePods for TV audio) via AirPlay.

However, the biggest upgrade relates to the day-to-day performance of the nearly four-year-old streaming box. Apple says app loading times will be reduced by 30 per cent, and animations should feel smoother too. This means that the whole tvOS interface should feel slicker and more responsive.

This update comes in the wake of a price increase, which means the current-generation Apple TV 4K now starts at £199 / $199 / AU$299, or if you want 128GB of storage and an Ethernet socket, then you can expect to pay £249 / $249 / AU$399.

While the tvOS 27 update isn't expected to launch to all users until September, members of the Apple Beta Software Programme can enrol their Apple TV 4K and install the update via the Settings app, under the System tab.

If you're not in the beta programme, you can sign up here for free, and Apple lets anyone trial its software and provide feedback via the Feedback Assistant app.

Be warned, this software is still in beta, and while Apple's pre-release software is generally stable and safe to use, we'd recommend exercising some caution.

If you happen to have a spare Apple TV 4K lying around, then we'd suggest installing it on that rather than loading it onto your main device, as bugs and glitches can cause issues.

MORE:

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Watch England vs Argentina live streams

Lionel Messi will face England for the first time in his career when reigning champions Argentina take on their old rivals in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals in Atlanta.

The Albiceleste skipper is the tournament's joint top-goalscorer with eight goals, although he didn't find the net in the 3-1 extra-time win over Switzerland in the quarter-finals. Messi will be key to Argentina's hopes of moving one step closer to becoming the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962.

Jude Bellingham was England's hero in the quarter-finals against Norway, as the Real Madrid midfielder struck twice in a 2-1 extra-time triumph. This is just the fourth time the Three Lions have reached the World Cup semi-finals, while their only appearance in the final was when they won the trophy back in 1966.

Follow our guide below for where to watch England vs Argentina live streams from anywhere with a VPN.

How to watch England vs Argentina for free

Being the second semi-final of the FIFA World Cup 2026, England vs Argentina is free-to-air in several countries across the globe:

• UK: BBC (English commentary)
• Australia: SBS On Demand (English commentary)
• Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube (no account required)
• Argentina: TV Publica
• Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• Canada: CTV (TV provider details required)
• France: M6
• Germany: Das Erste
• Ireland: RTE Player (English commentary)
• Italy: Rai
• Netherlands: NOS
• New Zealand: TVNZ
• Spain: RTVE
• Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• Turkey: TRT

If you're from one of these countries but are currently abroad and want to watch England vs Argentina live, you can simply use a VPN. More details below...

Watch England vs Argentina live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular England vs Argentina live streams while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch any World Cup 2026 live stream from anywhere in the world.

We rate Norton VPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sport. It offers a best-in-class 60-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

Watch England vs Argentina live streams in the US

England vs Argentina in the US will be shown on FOX (English commentary) and Telemundo (Spanish commentary).

If you've cut the cord, you can get these channels through a Live TV streaming option, such as Fubo or Sling.

Fox is also available via Fox One while Telemundo can be accessed on Peacock.

To access your usual streaming service from outside the US, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.

• Expert TV advice: I found all the ways to watch the World Cup in 4k

Watch England vs Argentina live streams in the UK

England vs Argentina is free-to-air in the UK on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, and all you need is a valid TV license to stream the match from anywhere, completely FREE.

Outside the UK for England vs Argentina? Use Norton VPN to watch as if you were back at home.

Watch England vs Argentina live streams in Australia

England vs Argentina will be broadcast for free in Australia, thanks to SBS.

Cord-cutters can catch all the action via the SBS On Demand streaming service and app.

Again, you'll need to use a safe, reliable VPN to access SBS On Demand when traveling abroad.

Watch England vs Argentina live streams in Canada

Football fans in Canada can watch England vs Argentina free on CTV.

Remember, CTV will require TV provider login details for you to watch the game for free.

The match will also be available to watch on TSN, as well as its online streaming platform TSN+, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.

Traveling outside Canada? Use Norton VPN to watch England vs Argentina as if you were back at home.

How to watch England vs Argentina in India

In India you can stream England vs Argentina on ZEE5.

There are two main plans to choose from. The Zee5 All Access + Sports plan costs Rs 799 for 3 months, while the Zee5 Premium plan is priced at Rs 1,699 per year. Opt for the latter and get a 4K stream of the game included.

Visiting India from the UK or Australia? Norton VPN can unlock your free stream from anywhere in the world.

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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

This could be the best thing to come to Netflix since Hot Frosty. The service's free trial is back, after a six-year hiatus. And it includes the Premium tier with 4K and HDR.

According to Android Authority, the free trial is available in multiple regions around the world, but not the UK and US. The trials offered vary between seven and 30 days in duration, though some users claim to have cleared their web browser's cookies or opened the same link in an incognito window to get the maximum 30 days.

You have to select a tier before getting the free trial period, and if you don't cancel, you will be charged the full amount from that month onwards. Like most streaming services, you can cancel Netflix with just one month's notice.

Interestingly, the Netflix support page for the UK and US says that it doesn't offer free trials, but in various other countries (including those in Europe and Asia) it reads: "Netflix is offering a limited free trial to eligible new members in certain countries. If you are eligible, the free trial option will automatically appear during sign-up. If you don't see it, the free trial option is not currently available for your location or device."

Not to be outdone, Disney+ is reportedly considering making some of its content available for free. Business Insider reports the service is mulling over hosting certain content on Disney+ without a paywall in order to compete with free services like YouTube, according to people familiar with the matter.

Product and tech chief Adam Smith reportedly floated the idea during a town hall meeting on Thursday.

So are we entering a new era of streaming? Music streaming service Spotify still offers a free, ad-supported tier, and if competition increases, the film and TV streamers could be forced to offer something similar.

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Watch France vs Spain live streams

France will aim to reach their third successive World Cup final when they face Euro 2024 winners Spain in a heavyweight FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final in Dallas.

Les Bleus are in frightening form, winning all six matches at the tournament so far and scoring six goals without reply in the knockout stage. Kylian Mbappé starred again in their 2-0 quarter-final victory over Morocco, with the France captain now joint top goalscorer alongside Lionel Messi, finding the net eight times.

Spain's run of six successive World Cup clean sheets ended in their 2-1 triumph over Belgium in the last eight. However, Mikel Merino came off the bench to score a late winner for the second game in a row. This is La Roja's first World Cup semi-final since 2010 and a chance they won't want to throw away as they look to book a place in Sunday's final.

The winner faces England or Argentina in New Jersey. Follow our guide below for where to watch France vs Spain live streams from anywhere with a VPN.

How to watch France vs Spain for free

Being the first semi-final of the FIFA World Cup 2026, France vs Spain is free-to-air in several countries across the globe:

• UK: ITV (English commentary)
• Australia: SBS On Demand (English commentary)
• Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube (no account required)
• Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• Canada: CTV (TV provider details required)
• France: M6
• Germany: ZDF
• Ireland: RTE Player (English commentary)
• Italy: Rai
• Netherlands: NOS
• Spain: RTVE
• Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• Turkey: TRT

If you're from one of these countries but are currently abroad and want to watch France vs Spain live, you can simply use a VPN. More details below...

Watch France vs Spain live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular France vs Spain live streams while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch any World Cup 2026 live stream from anywhere in the world.

We rate Norton VPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sport. It offers a best-in-class 60-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

Watch France vs Spain live streams in the US

France vs Spain in the US will be shown on FOX (English commentary) and Telemundo (Spanish commentary).

If you've cut the cord, you can get these channels through a live TV streaming option, such as Fubo or Sling.

Fox is also available via Fox One (3-day free trial) while Telemundo can be accessed on Peacock.

To access your usual streaming service from outside the US, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.

• Expert TV advice: I found all the ways to watch the World Cup in 4k

Watch France vs Spain live streams in the UK

France vs Spain is free-to-air in the UK on ITV1 and ITVX, and all you need is a valid TV license to stream the match from anywhere, completely FREE.

Outside the UK for France vs Spain? Use Norton VPN to watch as if you were back at home.

Watch France vs Spain live streams in Australia

France vs Spain will be broadcast for free in Australia, thanks to SBS.

Cord-cutters can catch all the action via the SBS On Demand streaming service and app.

Again, you'll need to use a safe, reliable VPN to access SBS On Demand when traveling abroad.

Watch France vs Spain live streams in Canada

Football fans in Canada can watch France vs Spain free on CTV.

Remember, CTV will require TV provider login details for you to watch the game for free.

The match will also be available to watch on TSN, as well as its online streaming platform TSN+, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.

Traveling outside Canada? Use Norton VPN to watch France vs Spain as if you were back at home.

• Fancy an upgrade? Here are the best TVs
• Or save money with these unmissable cheap TV deals
• Where to find the best Formula E live stream

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

There could be some big changes for the social movie platform Letterboxd. The brand is reportedly in talks with potential buyers including Netflix, Sony Pictures and Paramount, according to Puck.

Letterboxd's co-founders Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow will still own 40 per cent, but the fate of the remaining stake in the social network is up in the air as the current holding company, Tiny, seems to be looking to sell.

For those not in the know, the movie cataloguing site allows you to rate and review films. You can follow your friends and to see what they are watching, and tailor your profile to show your top four favourites.

As of July this year, there were a whopping 26 million users worldwide. That includes numerous celebrities, such as Ayo Edebiri, Charli XCX and Ed Sheeran. Even our furry friend Paddington leaves the odd review.

One of the prerequisites for working at What Hi-Fi? is that you have to be a massive movie nerd (joking, kind of). That's because testing out the latest home cinema and AV kit involves watching a variety of films to see how well they perform. We watch the same scenes again and again to compare different models, and that is a lot more fun if you genuinely love watching movies.

I have gushed about Letterboxd before and it's still the first thing I reach for once I have watched a movie. Users can post one-line zingers or thoughtful reviews, and both are equally likely to get hundreds of likes.

But I'm a little worried about the possibility of the platform being owned by streaming services or movie studios such as Netflix or Sony Pictures. It means that they could favour certain releases and push some films onto the homepage more than others, giving smaller movies less of a chance to get noticed.

Clearly, I am not alone, as there is already a crowdfunding effort to "buy it back for the people" that has gained over $54,000 in donations so far.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but it would be a shame to see the fun and passionate Letterboxd community become oversaturated with advertising and led by algorithms instead of film lovers.

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Watch Sinner vs Zverev live streams at Wimbledon 2026

Jannik Sinner faces Alexander Zverev in a Wimbledon final matchup that few saw coming. Although 2026 has been a bad year for Sinner at the slams – he reached the last four in Melbourne and won only one match in Paris – he's the reigning Wimbledon champion and the world No.1.

The surprise is that he's up against Zverev in the tournament showpiece. The German may be the No.2 seed, but he'd never previously got past the fourth round at the All England Club. Breaking his grand slam duck at Roland Garros last month has clearly worked wonders for his confidence.

Only six men have secured the French Open and Wimbledon titles in the same season in the open era, while nobody has gone back-to-back after clinching their first slam.

To pull it off, however, Zverev is going to have to defy the odds. Not only has he won just four of his 14 previous meetings with Sinner, but he's also lost each of their last nine encounters. It's an awful run of form, but there is one caveat – they've never before met on grass.

Follow our guide below for where to watch Wimbledon final 2026 live streams from anywhere with a VPN.

How can I watch Wimbledon final 2026 for free

Lucky tennis fans in the UK and Australia can watch the 2026 Wimbledon final for free, courtesy of BBC iPlayer and 9Now.

Better yet, BBC iPlayer's coverage is available in 4K.

If you're from one of these countries but are currently abroad, you can simply use a VPN to tap into that free Sinner vs Zverev coverage. More details below...

Watch Wimbledon final 2026 live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular Wimbledon final 2026 live streams while traveling abroad. The streaming service will detect that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch Sinner vs Zverev from anywhere in the world.

We rate NordVPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sports. It offers a generous 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

Watch Wimbledon final 2026 live streams in the US

ESPN is providing full coverage of the 2026 Wimbledon final in the US.

If you've cut the cord, you can get ESPN through a live TV streaming platform, such as Sling (selected cities), YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Fubo, or DirecTV.

To access your usual streaming service from outside the US, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.

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Watch Wimbledon final 2026 live streams in the UK

The 2026 Wimbledon final is free-to-air in the UK, thanks to BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

To watch Sinner vs Zverev in 4K, you'll need to tune in on iPlayer.

Just make sure you have a valid TV license.

Outside the UK for the Wimbledon final? Use NordVPN to watch Sinner vs Zverev as if you were back at home.

Watch Wimbledon final 2026 live streams in Australia

The 2026 Wimbledon final is free-to-air in Australia on Channel 9., with live streaming available via the 9Now streaming service and app.

Again, you'll need to use a safe, reliable VPN to access 9Now when traveling abroad.

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• Where to watch 2026 FIFA World Cup in India for free

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Watch Spain vs Belgium live streams

It’s two of Europe's powerhouses facing off as Spain take on Belgium at the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Los Angeles.

La Roja are yet to concede a goal at this tournament, and that is something that could come in very handy against a Belgium attack that has been firing in the knockout stages. Last time out, they netted four against co-hosts the USA, with Charles De Ketelaere bagging two for his first goals at a major tournament.

Spain possess their own danger going forward as well, and Lamine Yamal will be looking to generate some magic of his own.

Follow our guide below for where to watch Spain vs Belgium. live streams from anywhere with a VPN.

How to watch Spain vs Belgium for free

The second quarter-final of the World Cup is free-to-air in multiple countries:

• UK: BBC (English commentary)
• Australia: SBS On Demand (English commentary)
• Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube (no account required)
• Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• Canada: CTV (TV provider details required)
• France: M6
• Germany: Das Erste
• Ireland: RTE Player (English commentary)
• Italy: Rai
• Morocco: SNRT
• Netherlands: NOS
• Spain: RTVE
• Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• Turkey: TRT

If you're from one of these countries but are currently abroad and want to watch Spain vs Belgium live, you can simply use a VPN. More details below...

Watch Spain vs Belgium live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular Spain vs Belgium live streams while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch any World Cup 2026 live stream from anywhere in the world.

We rate Norton VPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sport. It offers a best-in-class 60-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

Watch Spain vs Belgium live streams in the US

Spain vs Belgium in the US will be shown on FOX (English commentary) and Telemundo (Spanish commentary).

If you've cut the cord, you can get these channels through a Live TV streaming option, such as Fubo or Sling.

Fox is also available via Fox One while Telemundo can be accessed on Peacock.

To access your usual streaming service from outside the US, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.

• Expert TV advice: I found all the ways to watch the World Cup in 4k

Watch Spain vs Belgium live streams in the UK

Spain vs Belgium is free to watch in the UK on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, and all you need is a valid TV license and an account to stream the match from anywhere, completely FREE.

Outside the UK? Use Norton VPN to watch as if you were back at home.

Watch Spain vs Belgium live streams in Australia

Spain vs Belgium will be broadcast for free in Australia, thanks to SBS.

Cord-cutters can catch all the action via the SBS On Demand streaming service and app.

Again, you'll need to use a safe, reliable VPN to access SBS On Demand when traveling abroad.

Watch Spain vs Belgium live streams in Canada

Football fans in Canada can watch Spain vs Belgium free on CTV.

Remember, CTV will require TV provider login details for you to watch the game for free.

The match will also be available to watch on TSN, as well as its online streaming platform TSN+, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.

Traveling outside Canada? Use Norton VPN to watch as if you were back at home.

• Fancy an upgrade? Here are the best TVs
• Or save money with these unmissable cheap TV deals
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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Olivia Wilde’s directing back catalogue is nothing if not varied. Her breakout directorial hit came with Booksmart in 2019, which was rich with humour and elevated by Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever’s brilliant lead performances.

Then came the not-so-great Don’t Worry Darling, which scored a disappointing 38 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer.

But I’m glad to report that her latest film The Invite is a glorious return to form, as she both stars in and directs the feature. It follows an unhappy couple (played by Wilde and Seth Rogen) who invite their new neighbours (Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz) for dinner. I won't say any more, as the less you know about this movie before watching it, the better.

Most of the film takes place in their apartment, but clever camera work means the setting never feels stale or boring. Instead, each corner of the flat becomes a cove for hushed conversation or a stage for explosive conflict.

One element that really elevates this sense of tension is Devonté Hynes’ spiky and playful score, made up entirely of cello instrumentals.

When the mood is relaxed, the sweeping strings create the sense of an idyllic home life. But arguments are punctuated with harsh, low, even thrilling instrumental moments.

It’s not subtle, but it further ramps up the tension in a movie where a single spoken line can turn a normal conversation into something far more fraught. Hynes is not afraid to leave space for quiet either, such as when, during a surprisingly moving conversation between the two leads, there is only the uncomfortable silence of the couple trying to decide what to say next.

The Invite is playing in cinemas now, and I can’t wait for it to hopefully come to 4K Blu-ray so I can use it as a test disc for sound in our AV test room. So far, only the standard Blu-ray and DVD editions are available to pre-order at HMV, but fingers crossed.

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Watch France vs Morocco live streams

It’s a rematch of the 2022 semi-finals as France take on Morocco in the first quarter-final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Boston.

Les Bleus are chasing a third consecutive World Cup semi-final after edging past Paraguay in the round of 16. The likes of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise will be hoping to have a profound impact on this game.

Morocco, meanwhile, are also on a five-match unbeaten streak, but they will arguably have to play their best football yet against this French side, especially after losing their top goalscorer, Ismaël Saibari, to a hamstring injury early in their round-of-16 clash against Canada.

Follow our guide below for where to watch France vs Morocco live streams from anywhere with a VPN.

How to watch France vs Morocco for free

Being the first quarter-final of the FIFA World Cup 2026, France vs Morocco is free-to-air in several countries across the globe:

• UK: ITV (English commentary)
• Australia: SBS On Demand (English commentary)
• Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube (no account required)
• Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• Canada: CTV (TV provider details required)
• France: M6
• Germany: Das Erste
• Ireland: RTE Player (English commentary)
• Italy: Rai
• Morocco: SNRT
• Netherlands: NOS
• Spain: RTVE
• Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• Turkey: TRT

If you're from one of these countries but are currently abroad and want to watch France vs Morocco live, you can simply use a VPN. More details below...

Watch France vs Morocco live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular France vs Morocco live streams while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch any World Cup 2026 live stream from anywhere in the world.

We rate Norton VPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sport. It offers a best-in-class 60-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

Watch France vs Morocco live streams in the US

France vs Morocco in the US will be shown on FOX (English commentary) and Telemundo (Spanish commentary).

If you've cut the cord, you can get these channels through a Live TV streaming option, such as Fubo or Sling.

Fox is also available via Fox One while Telemundo can be accessed on Peacock.

To access your usual streaming service from outside the US, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.

• Expert TV advice: I found all the ways to watch the World Cup in 4k

Watch France vs Morocco live streams in the UK

France vs Morocco is free-to-air in the UK on ITV1 and ITVX, and all you need is a valid TV license to stream the match from anywhere, completely FREE.

Outside the UK for France vs Morocco? Use Norton VPN to watch as if you were back at home.

Watch France vs Morocco live streams in Australia

France vs Morocco will be broadcast for free in Australia, thanks to SBS.

Cord-cutters can catch all the action via the SBS On Demand streaming service and app.

Again, you'll need to use a safe, reliable VPN to access SBS On Demand when traveling abroad.

Watch France vs Morocco live streams in Canada

Football fans in Canada can watch France vs Morocco free on CTV.

Remember, CTV will require TV provider login details for you to watch the game for free.

The match will also be available to watch on TSN, as well as its online streaming platform TSN+, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.

Traveling outside Canada? Use Norton VPN to watch France vs Morocco as if you were back at home.

• Fancy an upgrade? Here are the best TVs
• Or save money with these unmissable cheap TV deals
• Where to find the best Formula E live stream

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Can you believe we’re more than half way through the year? Before long it’ll be the end of summer, then Bonfire Night, then Christmas, then another year finished as time marches mercilessly on. What is this quintessence of dust, as Hamlet so perceptively mused?

Sadly for the fictitious Danish Prince, he didn’t have a hi-fi setup to take his mind off of his gnawing existential dread. We can’t offer spiritual counsel, but if you happen to be one of the fortunate souls who take refuge under a pair of speakers and an integrated amplifier, then might we suggest the following tunes to keep the existential wolf from the door?

• Listen to our full Now Playing playlist on Tidal

Lost Boys by Phoebe Bridgers

The six-year wait for a new Phoebe Bridgers album has felt nothing short of excruciating.

Aside from Boygenius's (which Bridgers makes up a third of) self-titled album back in 2022, I’ve held my nerve since the sensational Punisher album was released in 2020, and subsequently became my lockdown soundtrack. Thankfully, my patience has paid off, as Bridgers’ new album, Lost Weekend, is confirmed to release on the 14th of August.

The new record's first single, Lost Boys, has quickly become my favourite song of 2026. I presume that will change once I hear the full album later this year.

Despite the considerable gap between solo projects, this song clearly follows Phoebe Bridgers’ style while evolving certain aspects to ensure it's not just re-treading her discography.

The plucking strings of Halloween and the chorus of trumpets from Kyoto return here, but there is more energy and fullness to the production that makes me think that the new album will be bigger in scale than Punisher.

The star of the show is Bridgers’ folky and earnest lyricism, which treads a fine line between haunting and toe-tappingly groovy. There’s subtext aplenty to dig your teeth into, as Bridgers rarely shies away from heavy themes within her music; this time she spins a metaphor linking modern masculinity, the glorification of violence, and the refusal to accept reality.

Despite the dense subject matter, Bridgers’ euphoric, wistful, and almost nursery-rhyme-like lyrics and vocals create an inviting and harmonious sound that is impossible not to get sucked into.

With a lead single this strong, I am counting down the days until I can listen to her upcoming 16-track album in full.

Words by Lewis Empson

Love Me Or Leave Me by Nina Simone

Over the years, there have been many versions of this tune – from such luminaries as Sammy Davis Jr, Bing Crosby and Doris Day – but they all sound positively leaden next to Nina Simone’s take on it.

It absolutely kicks, from that sprightly intro that doesn’t hang about to her soulful vocals and the extended piano solo that builds like an Ira Levin thriller before erupting in a shower of anger and frustration, reflecting the subject matter and aided Simone’s on-point vocal delivery.

In fact, the whole song is basically that solo bookended by the same verse repeated – first as request, then as demand. In between, the piano starts off playfully dancing around the drumbeat, almost enjoying the situation, before going all Bach on us in the style of his Inventions, but it seems to go on and on – much like it must feel being left in limbo romantically – gradually ratcheting up the intensity until the thundering climax.

This is a true master at work, a classically trained pianist and singer letting rip with her new-jazz styles on an old classic, tearing up the rules only once she’s mastered them. Where Sammy Davis Jr, Bing Crosby and Doris Day’s versions sound a bit mopey, Simone is angry, and is letting us know the only way she knows how.

And this was from Simone’s debut album. What an introduction to one of the 20th century’s most accomplished artists.

Words by Joe Svetlik

Wanted Man by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Wanted Man is featured on Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' second album, The Firstborn Is Dead. Their sophomore album was the band’s attempt at creating a straight blues record, diving deep into the gothic-southern world that Cave’s writing so often inhabits.

The track was inspired by a song written by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, from whom Cave had to seek permission to change the lyrics.

Recorded in Berlin’s Hansa Studios, Wanted Man features roomy, machine-gun-cracking drums beneath Cave’s snarling recitation of the many people and state police pursuing him. Whipping up the song’s ever more urgent disorder, wild organs and Blixa Bargeld’s industrial-cum-country slide-guitar churn this track into a howling blues-infused dust-devil.

The final lyric: “If the devil comes collecting he better hold a six gun in his hand,” neatly summarises the general sentiment of Wanted Man. It is a phenomenal test track for its rhythmic power and textural intricacy, but it makes an even better driving song, played loud.

Words by Ioan Hazell

How Soon Is Now? by The Smiths

Has there ever been a rock outfit more divisive than The Smiths?

You’re either a complete obsessive who, starting at the age of about 14, devoured the Manchester outfit’s back catalogue while crying adolescent tears of cathartic joy, or else you’re one of those people for whom Morrissey’s distinctive mewling is akin to having a particularly large wasp embedded inside your ear canal.

How Soon Is Now? is the track for finding that slim piece of common ground in the Venn diagram of devotees and deniers, a near-seven minute epic that sounds unlike anything you’ve ever heard or are likely to hear.

It’s got all of Morrissey’s usual self-flagellatory mutterings on the isolating misery brought about by excessive shyness, but the star of the show is the siren-like pulse of Johnny Marr’s distorted tremolo guitar, giving the tune a powerful, brooding edge when fired out above thumping drums and an underlaid chugging bassline.

The quiet, introspective Smiths DNA is all in there, but covered in the most deliciously thrilling wrapper. Play it through a capable hi-fi set-up and you’ll have an experience unlike any other.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Light Of The Seven by Ramin Djawadi

One thing that has always remained consistent, despite the arguable fluctuations in quality of Game Of Thrones and its various spin-offs, is the brilliance of its soundtrack. Ramin Djawadi is the mastermind composer behind it, and with House Of The Dragon returning for a fiery third season, now is the perfect time to revisit some of his best work for the franchise.

Light Of The Seven is one of the most famous pieces from the original show, partly for the iconic scene in the season six finale it accompanies. No spoilers here, but it’s a ten minute scene largely without dialogue, with the track and visuals working in tandem to slowly build up tension to a rather explosive climax (if you know, you know).

But the track holds up on its own, and conveys the emotion of the scene without any need for a screen. In a departure for the show, the track starts with a sparse, delicate piano melody.

Slowly but surely, more layers are added – haunting vocals, minimalist violins, and then, suddenly, a massive rumbling pipe organ – until eventually we have a much larger arrangement that is in stark contrast to the intimate opening.

It’s this final part that is the real stress test, with the sudden wall of sound a real assessment of your audio gear’s dynamic range and the ability to keep every instrument identifiable.

Words by Daniel Furn

The Curse by Agnes Obel

We were lucky enough to take a trip down to Bowers & Wilkins’ facility in Surrey to have a listen to the company’s updated Diamond series of loudspeakers, with one of the test tracks used being the opening of Agnes Obel’s The Curse. It’s hard to resist the urge to roll out that old cliché: great minds really do think alike.

The Curse is a masterwork, as is Aventine, the album from which it is taken. In fact, we use the record so often that a hi-res edition has a permanent home on our reference Astell & Kern portable music player, ready and waiting to put a potential pair of wired headphones through its paces.

B&W’s use of those opening few bars to show off its latest speaker roster was no accident. In the space of mere seconds, the track’s taut, almost menacing strings will reveal more about a product’s capabilities than some entire albums, from the breadth of the soundstage to the richness of the textures unearthed.

It’s worth listening to the whole track, though. Just to be sure…

Words by Harry McKerrell

Fallin' by Alicia Keys

It’s been 25 years, but Alicia Keys’ Fallin’, the lead single from her debut album Songs In A Minor (2001), still manages to invoke goosebumps every time I hear it.

It’s been a staple of our test track playlist for years, with her powerful vocals still stirring our souls and grabbing our attention as it did the first time we heard it. When using it for testing speakers, for instance, we always listen out for how well they relay the raw, rough textures of her voice when she belts out the soulful lyrics.

The song is also a fantastic test of your system’s dynamic handling, tracking how well it handles the sudden swell in intensity when the backing vocals kick in, and how quickly it goes back to being quiet and intimate when it’s just Keys and her piano.

The track's sudden shifts in dynamic intensity, coupled with the terrific melody, mean it remains not just a great pop song, but also a great test for any product that comes through our test rooms.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

MORE:

Read last month's edition: cool yourself off with the 6 finest test tracks and albums to soundtrack the start of summer

Yes, there is an ultimate prog rock album for testing hi-fi – at least according to What Hi-Fi? readers

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding digital film and TV downloads lately, so it's nice to finally hear some good news.

While Sony announced that it's ditching physical PlayStation discs and removing purchased content from users' libraries, Apple has taken a major step to improve the content within its users' Apple TV digital libraries.

A selection of around 50 TV shows has been quietly upgraded from HD to 4K, and that change is being retroactively applied for users who have already purchased these shows, at no additional cost.

The selection includes some high-profile releases, such as all seven seasons of Mad Men, the first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and recent TV phenomenon Heated Rivalry. You can find the full list below:

• Aerial Australia
• Aftertaste (Season 1)
• American Magik (Season 1)
• Auto Exotica (Season 2)
• The Basement Talks (Season 1)
• Black, Brilliant, and Bold (Season 1)
• Blossoms Shanghai (Season 1)
• Bong Zombies (Season 1)
• Building Nations (Season 1)
• Car & Country Quest (Season 1)
• Changing of the Gods (Season 1)
• Chasing the Tide (Season 1)
• Claire-ity (Season 1)
• Clash of Dynasties: St. Edward vs Walsh Jesuit
• The Coroner's Assistant (Season 1)
• Drink: A Look Inside the Glass (Season 1)
• The Envoy, Pilot
• The Eternal White (Season 1)
• Extreme Airport Africa (Season 2)
• Founder (Season 1)
• Gatherings (Season 1)
• Gentle and Lowly Video Study (Season 1)
• Guerrera (Season 1)
• Gus Plus Us (Season 1)
• Heated Rivalry (Season 1)
• Honor Guard (Season 1)
• Hunting to Save the Rhinos (Season 1)
• The Hunting Wives (Season 1)
• Ice Airport Alaska (Season 5)
• Killer Whales (Season 2)
• Legacy Makers (Season 1)
• Mad Men (Seasons 1–7)
• Missionary: Obeying the Great Commission (Season 1)
• My Name is Anxiety (Season 1)
• Office Joe (Season 1)
• Perfect Sweat (Season 1)
• Q: Into the Storm
• The Religion Business and the Nonprofit Goliath (Season 1)
• Rich Africans (Season 1)
• RuPaul's Drag Race UK (Season 5)
• The RVers (Seasons 3 and 4)
• Selling Superman (Season 1)
• Sexpectations (Season 1)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 1)
• That’s Wine (Season 1)
• Third Shift
• Tractor Ted (Season 3)
• The Twilight Zone (Reboot) (Season 1)
• The Wingfeather Saga (Season 2)

This upgrade was spotted by X (formerly Twitter) user Sigmund Judge (via FlatpanelsHD), and users in the UK and US who have purchased these TV shows from the Apple TV Store (formerly the iTunes Movies & TV Shows store) should already be able to access the upgraded 4K versions from within their Apple TV library.

It's worth noting that Apple has a track record of providing free 4K upgrades to its Apple TV users. It began upgrading purchased movies from HD to 4K HDR alongside the launch of the Apple TV 4K back in 2017, and we've since seen free Dolby Atmos, HDR10+ and 3D 4K upgrades hit users' Apple TV libraries too.

This is how you win digital media sceptics over, and other companies should certainly take note.

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

Here are our picks for the best streaming services for movies and TV shows

As well as the best streaming devices

A network transport is quite a niche product – essentially, it fetches your digital music from a NAS drive, network storage or streaming service and passes it to a DAC in order to play it. There’s no built-in DAC, as you get with most music streamers, but that’s no problem if you already have one elsewhere in your system, or you’re happy to buy a dedicated unit and go the separates route.

Now new Polish brand Ferrum Audio has announced the Broen, a premium network transport that promises an “uncompromising digital audio performance”.

It aims to provide a clean and precise digital signal path, alongside “flexible connectivity, intuitive operation and extensive streaming support”.

It is built around Ferrum’s Serce DDC (digital to digital converter) module, which should optimise every stage of digital-signal handling. Because there is no analogue circuitry inside, Serce focuses just on digital processing, which, Ferrum claims, “delivers outstanding precision while maintaining complete separation between input and output domains.”

Galvanically isolated audio outputs and ultra-low jitter clocks help to preserve signal integrity.

It supports both wired and wireless networking; as well as wi-fi, it has a modular SFP port that can take either a standard ethernet module or an optical module. That means it can hook up to compatible SFP network switches for less electrical noise and cleaner digital transmission.

Of course you will need a DAC, and Ferrum is only too happy to sell you one. The Broen works seamlessly with Ferrum’s Wandla range of DACs, thanks to the Ferrum Streaming Control Technology (FSCT). Connect a Wandla DAC to the Broen via USB, and you can control the latter from the former’s touchscreen or remote control. Artist information, album details and playback status will appear on the DAC’s screen.

At the heart of the Broen is the Volumio streaming platform. This brings a range of music services and playback options, including Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz (with their Connect variants), AirPlay, UPnP/DLNA, internet radio, CD, multi-room, AI-powered SuperSearch, Infinity Playback and enhanced album and artist metadata.

You can add more storage using the internal SSD slot, while over-the-air firmware updates allow new features to be added remotely in the future.

The Broen is out now, and costs £1995 / $2275 (around AU$3800). That’s a similar price to the Lumin U2 Mini to which we awarded five stars last year.

MORE:

What is a CD transport? Find out here

The best DACs to pair your transport with

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No F1 track produces great races as consistently as Silverstone, and it delivered yet again yesterday, as Kimi Antonelli successfully chased Lewis Hamilton down to win the Sprint. The teenager followed it up by taking pole for today's British Grand Prix proper, and he has Charles Leclerc for company on the front row. Lights-out is scheduled for 3pm BST / 10am ET.

British Grand Prix 2026 free stream

UK: Channel 4 (FREE)
Austria: ORF On (FREE)
Luxembourg: RTL Play (FREE)
Belgium: RTBF Auvio (FREE)
Blocked? Watch your British GP stream with a VPN

British Grand Prix 2026 Schedule

(All times BST)

Sunday, 5th July
3pm – British Grand Prix

British Grand Prix 2026 Preview

Record nine-time British GP winner Hamilton topped the timesheet in the only Practice session on Friday and took Sprint pole, but has had to settle for the third slot on the grid, a nose in front of George Russell, who's never made the podium at the Northamptonshire circuit.

While Silverstone tends to bring out the best from his compatriots – Lando Norris is the most recent winner of the British Grand Prix and he finished third yesterday – it hasn't been a happy hunting ground for Russell. Eight previous visits have yielded just 13 points, and he's retired from the race almost as often as he's finished in the points.

The under-fire Mercedes man returned to form last weekend with a wire-to-wire victory in Spielberg. Although there was an element of fortune to his pole, Russell showed that he was equal to it, holding off Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli to overtake Hamilton in the drivers' standings and cut the deficit to his teenage teammate to 40 points. Antonelli has stretched that to 43 now.

Below we'll show you how to watch British Grand Prix live streams from anywhere in the world.

Watch British Grand Prix 2026 live from anywhere

Most F1 live streams are location-sensitive, which means you won't be able to access your preferred coverage when travelling abroad. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a straightforward but powerful app that lets you alter your virtual location and thus unblock any British GP stream – including the free coverage in the UK, Austria, Luxembourg and Belgium.

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 British GP 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 F1, you may wish to choose the UK for Channel 4.

3. Head over to Channel 4 on your browser or device and enjoy the free British Grand Prix live stream.

How to watch British Grand Prix 2026 in for free in the UK

It’s good news for F1 fans in the UK, because every session of this year’s British Grand Prix is available for free on Channel 4. You can watch on TV, online or on Channel 4’s mobile app.

You can also watch the British Grand Prix, along with every F1 race, in 4K via Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream packs. You'll need to subscribe to an Ultra HD package and have a 4K TV.

Head over to the Sky Sports F1 Ultra HD channel to watch every race, qualifying and practice in 4K and HDR.

Need Sky? Browse today's best Sky TV deals.

F1 season pass

F1 TV Pro includes live HD coverage of every F1 practice, qualifier and race. No ad breaks.

F1 TV Pro is available in over 188 countries – but not the UK (you can use the basic 'Access' version for live timings but you can't watch any races live). F1 TV Premium is available in the US.

F1 TV Pro is available via the F1 TV website, iOS/Android apps, Roku TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Google TV and other mobile devices.

Latest F1 TV Pro prices:

• F1 TV Pro in India – $3.99/month (cheapest)
• F1 TV Pro in South Africa – $4.99/month
• F1 TV Pro in Brazil – $5.99/month
• F1 TV Pro in Netherlands – €11.90/month
• F1 TV Pro in USA – $10.99/month
• F1 TV Pro in Mexico – $129/month

Watch British Grand Prix 2026 live streams in the USA

In the USA, Apple TV is showing the British Grand Prix – and practice sessions are free-to-air all season.

A subscription costs $12.99 per month after a 7-day FREE trial, though better deals are available to Apple customers.

Buying an eligible Apple device, including select iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac models, gets you free Apple TV access for three months.

Apple One, which bundles Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade and 50GB of iCloud Storage, starts at $19.95 per month after a 1-month free trial.

Alternatively, for a limited time the Apple Music Student Subscription includes Apple TV, and costs $6 per month.

Watch British Grand Prix 2026 live streams in Australia

Fox Sports has the rights to show every live F1 race in Australia. That means Foxtel and Kayo Sports subscribers get a front-row seat to the British GP.

Kayo offers new customers a FREE 7-day trial to test the waters, after which it starts at AU$29.99 a month for the base Standard tier. For up to 4K video quality and simultaneous streaming on up to two devices, you'll need the Kayo Premium plan for AU$45.99 a month.

Subscribers can also stream the action via Foxtel Now by adding the Sports package ($30 a month).

10Play shows free highlights of every 2026 F1 race.

British Grand Prix 2026: Start Times Around The World

• Feast your eyes on the best TVs
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• Our pick of the best streaming services

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.

We don’t know about you, but it feels like no month passes without a music or video-streaming service announcing a price hike for those wishing to access its wares.

This month it’s Tidal on the agenda. The service has sent out an e-mail to subscribers which says, “Starting on your first billing date on or after August 3rd, the price for Tidal will increase to £12.99 per month”.

It appears US pricing is going up to $11.99, and for Australian users it will go up to AU$15.99. Previously, it was £10.99/$10.99/AU$12.99.

While this shift in pricing brings it into line with Spotify Premium and Qobuz, that’s not great news when you consider it is now more expensive than Amazon Music Unlimited (£11.99/$11.99 per month or £10.99/$10.99 for Prime members) and Deezer (£11.99/$11.99).

It also leaves Apple Music as the cheapest music streaming service if you want high quality, with £10.99 giving you access to Apple Music Lossless.

If you're a new user starting from scratch, you can get 30 days free before you have to pay the new pricing, which is already on Tidal's website.

So, why the change? According to the e-mail, and Tidal, “This is the first time we’ve adjusted our base plan pricing in three years. The change goes toward fairly supporting the artists and rightsholders behind the music you love, and continuing to build a better experience for you.”

There isn’t a music-streaming system that hasn’t undergone pricing changes in recent years. And Tidal has gone through more than its fair share, mainly because until a couple of years ago it used to be the priciest way to enjoy hi-res streams.

24-bit hi-res tracks were locked in a monthly £19.99/$19.99 ‘HiFi Plus’ tier until April 2024, when it scrapped its multi-tier system in favour of a streamlined and cheaper £10.99/$10.99 offering.

Rumours have been rumbling along for some time that all might not be well at Tidal Towers, so it will be interesting to see whether or not this price change affects its current user base.

If you’re a Tidal user, how do you feel about the price hike? Let us know in the poll below.

MORE:

Read our full Tidal review

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Tidal vs Spotify: which streaming service is best for you?

Tidal has become the latest music streaming service to clamp down on AI music, following Deezer and Qobuz.

Its new AI policy (whose page seems to be down at time of writing), sets out to shield artists financially while also keeping listeners informed about who (or what) made what they're listening to.

Tidal will identify and flag AI-generated music within the app, giving each track an "AI" badge. It will bar any AI-generated music that impersonates any artist or group, or that "facilitates fraudulent activity." It will remove these using "automatic tools" both immediately and on an ongoing basis.

Music that is 100 per cent AI-generated will also not be allowed to earn any money. Tidal won't allow such tracks to earn royalties, nor to be sold direct to fans.

These tools will only apply to music that is 100 per cent generated by AI, but will roll out to music that's substantially AI-generated "when AI detection technology is sufficiently reliable to do so." And there's the rub.

Like other music services taking a stance, Tidal will rely on AI to detect AI. And as the book world has learned, that's not always 100 per cent accurate.

Also, it's not always clear what qualifies as AI. If someone creates an original composition, but fine tunes it with AI, does that count? The lines are blurred, and will only be more so as AI becomes more sophisticated.

Tidal's policy will kick in on 15th July.

MORE:

The best music streaming services to consider

Qobuz rolls out a tool to protect us all from AI-generated music

How much of your playlist is AI-generated? Find out with Deezer’s new AI music detector

Watch Wimbledon 2026 live streams

The pristine grass courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, are once again ready to host the most prestigious and aesthetically iconic Grand Slam on the tennis calendar. And after a French Open that delivered its fair share of surprises, we could be in for yet another rollercoaster fortnight of high-intensity tennis.

The best part? Wimbledon 2026 is being broadcast for free in select countries around the world, and we'll show you how to watch every match live, and for free, from anywhere.

Today, the men's final takes centre stage, with defending champion Jannik Sinner facing recent Grand Slam winner Alexander Zverev on Centre Court in a blockbuster title clash. The match starts at 4pm BST / 11am ET.

Follow our guide below for where to watch Wimbledon 2026 live streams.

How can I watch Wimbledon 2026 for free

Tennis fans in the UK and Australia are in luck, as BBC iPlayer and 9Now are showing Wimbledon 2026 live streams for free.

BBC iPlayer in the UK is providing the most comprehensive free coverage of the tournament, carrying a dedicated live feed for every single match across all 18 courts.

In Australia, meanwhile, tennis fans can watch a few select matches for free on Channel 9 and 9Gem, both of which are available via the free streaming platform 9Now.

If you're from one of these countries but are currently abroad and want to watch a Wimbledon 2026 live stream, you can simply use a VPN. More details below...

Watch Wimbledon 2026 live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular Wimbledon 2026 live streams while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch any Wimbledon 2026 live stream from anywhere in the world.

We rate NordVPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sport. It offers a generous 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

Watch Wimbledon 2026 live streams in the US

ESPN is providing full coverage every single day for Wimbledon 2026 in the US, via ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, and ESPN Select.

You can access the streams online through ESPN Select, with prices starting from $12.99 per month. Alternatively, you can bundle it with Disney Plus and Hulu for $19.99 per month.

If you've cut the cord, you can get these TV channels through a Live TV streaming option, such as Sling (selected cities), YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Fubo, or DirecTV.

To access your usual streaming service from outside the US, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.

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Watch Wimbledon 2026 live streams in the UK

Every single Wimbledon 2026 match is free-to-air in the UK, thanks to BBC iPlayer. Moreover, cord-loyalists can watch select matches free on BCC One and BBC Two.

iPlayer will be carrying a dedicated feed for every match, plus all the Centre Court action will be available in 4K.

All you need is a valid TV license to stream the matches from anywhere, completely FREE.

Outside the UK during Wimbledon? Use NordVPN to watch the tournament as if you were back at home.

Watch Wimbledon 2026 live streams in Australia

Although not every Wimbledon 2026 game will be broadcast for free in Australia, tennis fans can watch select matches on Channel 9 and 9Gem at no cost.

Cord-cutters can catch all the action via the 9Now streaming service and app.

Again, you'll need to use a safe, reliable VPN to access 9Now when traveling abroad.

Wimbledon 2026 Preview

With Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, and Andy Murray all set to feature, Wimbledon 2026 is turning the pages back to the good old days, as many tennis fans will tell you. However, the context of their appearances this time around couldn't be any more different.

While the 39-year-old and seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic is still chasing that elusive 25th Grand Slam title, his familiar foe Andy Murray will feature in the coaching team of Brit Jack Draper, who, along with Emma Raducanu on the WTA Tour, will be the UK's hope for a home Wimbledon champion.

However, those do seem like unlikely scenarios, with World No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner looking like the firm favourite to go all the way, especially since his arch-rival and two-time Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz is missing out due to a wrist injury after also missing the French Open, where Sinner was unable to capitalise on the Spaniard's absence.

World No. 3 Alexander Zverev, meanwhile, claimed his first Grand Slam title in Rome and finally enters a tournament as a Grand Slam champion – something that should make him lighter on his feet and allow him to play with more freedom and confidence.

Speaking of playing with confidence, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Francisco Cerúndolo, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Donna Vekic, Linda Noskova, Marie Bouzkova, Karolína Muchova, and Madison Keys all enter Wimbledon 2026 after winning grass-court tournaments. And if this season is anything like 2025, we could have several upsets on our hands.

On the WTA Tour, which has had nine different Wimbledon champions in the last nine editions, it's really hard to tell who's going to take the trophy home this season, especially as World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, World No. 2 and Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, and defending champion and World No. 3 Iga Świątek all enter the tournament on the back of poor runs of late.

Perhaps it will be the 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who recently won Roland Garros, making a breakthrough on grass. Or will it be the 44-year-old and seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams, making her return to professional tennis after four years, who fancies a deep run into the tournament?

• Fancy an upgrade? Here are the best TVs
• Or save money with these unmissable cheap TV deals
• Where to watch 2026 FIFA World Cup in India for free

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

In an ideal world, all broadcasters would offer 4K as standard, especially for big events like the World Cup. Sadly that's not the case, but the good news is that there are plenty of ways to watch the tournament in 4K – and some of them are even free!

We've hunted down all the ways to watch from all over the world, so whoever you're supporting – and whatever the result – you can enjoy the best viewing experience possible on the upcoming high-stakes matches.

How to watch the World Cup in 4K in the US

If you're in the US, watching in 4K is pretty straightforward.

If you want to watch all 104 matches in 4K, you'll need to be tuned to Fox and FS1 (Fox Sports 1). Between them, they will show all matches live and in 4K HDR – Fox has 70 games, while FS1 has 34. Fox and FS1 are available on DirecTV and Fubo.

You can also watch in 4K on Fox through Sling, but doing so is a little more complicated. Sling doesn't carry native 4K channels, but – like DirecTV and Fubo – it does include access to the Fox Sports App, which streams in 4K, and is available on Roku, Apple TV 4K and Amazon Fire TV devices.

How to watch the World Cup in 4K in the UK

As ever, the live games shown in the UK are split between the BBC and ITV. All of the BBC's 54 matches will be shown in 4K on iPlayer, though that will mean watching with a delay. The BBC's matches include England's group stage meeting with Ghana, England’s knockout games in the round of 32, round of 16 and semi-final and final (if they make it that far), plus Scotland's opener and final group match against Haiti and Brazil respectively.

The BBC and ITV's broadcast channels are limited to HD, as is the ITVX streaming service.

iPlayer uses the Hybrid Log Gamma format of HDR, which should improve the contrast for the World Cup games. The ITV broadcast channels and ITVX don't support HDR.

What about elsewhere?

Those viewing from elsewhere in the world can also enjoy the action.

Cristiano Ronaldo's YouTube channel CazeTV is showing all of the tourney's 104 matches in 4K, completely free. This is region-locked to Brazil.

Hong Kong's Now TV (not to be confused with Sky's on-demand service of the same name that was subsequently rebranded as Now), is also screening every game live in 4K. You can also add an AI Buddy Pass, which "integrates metaphysical wisdom with advanced artificial intelligence, combining data analytics and metaphysical insights to deliver World Cup matching analysis, and provides match strategies." Seriously.

However, Now TV doesn't include HDR.

Australians wanting 4K are out of luck – the tournament is on SBS, which is limited to HD.

Abroad? Traveling? Use a VPN to unblock your usual domestic 4K services from anywhere – we're currently using Norton VPN and it works beautifully.

Watch in 4K from anywhere

If you're travelling abroad during the tournament, you can still access your domestic 4K streams using this VPN (changes your country IP address with a click).

Norton VPN comes with up to 63% off, plus you can try it for 60 days with our deal below and see how it works out...

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The best World Cup songs to test your system

What's better for a World Cup TV – size or quality?

Ready for the World Cup? These are the 3 projectors you should consider

If you have purchased a movie on the PlayStation Store, then you may well be impacted by the brand’s latest announcement.

In September, PlayStation will remove more than 550 films from its catalogue. Which means any affected films will be wiped from your video library, even if you paid for them.

The company is not offering refunds to users, and there’s not even an option to offload them to another device. Sony, which owns PlayStation, says that they will be removed due to content licensing agreements with Studio Canal.

You can read the full list of affected movies on PlayStation’s website but some of the most notable titles include Moonlight, Rambo First Blood, Apocalypse Now, and Pan’s Labyrinth.

At the moment, this affects only customers in the UK, although the brand pulled the same move in Germany and Austria back in 2022.

It’s a rather unpleasant reminder that you can never truly own a piece of media online, as you are always at the whim of licensing battles. We have seen the issue with streaming services before, with Netflix most recently hitting headlines for removing all seven series of Gilmore Girls from its US site.

That’s why physical media is still so important. There is no substitute for holding a copy of your favourite movie or TV show in your hands.

Investing in a 4K Blu-ray is usually the more expensive option, but it gives you proper ownership while also providing the best picture and sound quality you can get at home.

MORE:

These are the best 4K Blu-ray players

Check out the best TVs

And these are the best scenes to test your Dolby Atmos sound system

A potential three-way battle awaits at the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend – and that's just the teams. Lewis Hamilton sensationally smashed the Mercedes monopoly last time out with his first ever GP victory as a Ferrari driver, and the Red Bull Ring has been a particularly happy hunting ground for Lando Norris.

Austrian Grand Prix 2026 free stream

US: Apple TV (FREE)
Austria: Servus TV (FREE)
Luxembourg: RTL Play (FREE)
Belgium: RTBF Auvio (FREE)
Blocked? Watch your Austrian GP stream with a VPN

Austrian Grand Prix 2026 Schedule

(All times BST)

Sunday, 28th June
2pm – Austrian Grand Prix

Austrian Grand Prix 2026 Preview

Save for an impressive second-place finish in Miami, Norris has gone under the radar so far this season. But the reigning champion made the podium again in Barcelona, benefitting from the electrical issue that forced Kimi Antonelli to retire his car when he was in second, to stay well within reach of Hamilton and George Russell.

Norris has fared pretty well in Spielberg over the years. It was the site of his first F1 podium in 2020 and his first proper duel with Max Verstappen in 2024, something he'd previously shied away from. In 2025, he won there for the first time.

Although it was through no fault of his own, Antonelli's failure to score points in Barcelona has the potential to play on his mind. Not only has it allowed Hamilton to take a hefty chunk out of his championship lead, but it comes just as he returns to a circuit at which he retired early a year ago, due to a collision with Verstappen.

Can the 19-year-old hold his nerve, or is the momentum shifting?

Below we'll show you how to watch Austrian Grand Prix live streams from anywhere in the world.

Watch Austrian Grand Prix 2026 live from anywhere

Most F1 live streams are location-sensitive, which means you won't be able to access your preferred coverage when travelling abroad. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a straightforward but powerful app that lets you alter your virtual location and thus unblock any Austrian GP stream – including the free coverage in the US, Austria, Luxembourg and Belgium.

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 Austrian GP 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 F1, you may wish to choose the US for Apple TV.

3. Head over to Apple TV on your browser or device and enjoy the free Austrian Grand Prix live stream.

How to watch Austrian Grand Prix 2026 in 4K Ultra HD in the UK

In the UK, you can watch the Austrian Grand Prix, along with every F1 race, in 4K via Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream packs. You'll need to subscribe to an Ultra HD package and have a 4K TV.

Head over to the Sky Sports F1 Ultra HD channel to watch every race, qualifying and practice in 4K and HDR.

Need Sky? Browse today's best Sky TV deals.

F1 season pass

F1 TV Pro includes live HD coverage of every F1 practice, qualifier and race. No ad breaks.

F1 TV Pro is available in over 188 countries – but not the UK (you can use the basic 'Access' version for live timings but you can't watch any races live). F1 TV Premium is available in the US.

F1 TV Pro is available via the F1 TV website, iOS/Android apps, Roku TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Google TV and other mobile devices.

Latest F1 TV Pro prices:

• F1 TV Pro in India – $3.99/month (cheapest)
• F1 TV Pro in South Africa – $4.99/month
• F1 TV Pro in Brazil – $5.99/month
• F1 TV Pro in Netherlands – €11.90/month
• F1 TV Pro in USA – $10.99/month
• F1 TV Pro in Mexico – $129/month

Watch Austrian Grand Prix 2026 live streams in the USA

The Austrian Grand Prix is the first F1 race that will be completely free-to-air on Apple TV in the USA.

The entire weekend of action from the Red Bull Ring will be available to watch for free on the platform without a subscription.

Although F1 Practice sessions are free-to-air all season as standard, all competitive action is usually behind a paywall.

A subscription costs $12.99 per month after a 7-day FREE trial, though better deals are available to Apple customers.

Buying an eligible Apple device, including select iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac models, gets you free Apple TV access for three months.

Apple One, which bundles Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade and 50GB of iCloud Storage, starts at $19.95 per month after a 1-month free trial.

Alternatively, for a limited time the Apple Music Student Subscription includes Apple TV, and costs $6 per month.

Watch Austrian Grand Prix 2026 live streams in Australia

Fox Sports has the rights to show every live F1 race in Australia. That means Foxtel and Kayo Sports subscribers get a front-row seat to the Austrian GP too.

Kayo offers new customers a FREE 7-day trial to test the waters, after which it starts at AU$29.99 a month for the base Standard tier. For up to 4K video quality and simultaneous streaming on up to two devices, you'll need the Kayo Premium plan for AU$45.99 a month.

Subscribers can also stream the action via Foxtel Now by adding the Sports package ($30 a month).

10Play shows free highlights of every 2026 F1 race.

Austrian Grand Prix 2026: Start Times Around The World

• Feast your eyes on the best TVs
• Splash the cash on our cheap TV deals
• Our pick of the best streaming services

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.

Remember when tech used to get cheaper throughout its life span? Those were the glory days; but that all seems to be in the past now.

Apple is the latest company to hop on the trend of upping prices on its older products. It has just rolled out a fairly egregious swathe of updated pricing on its hi-fi and home cinema offerings; we think it’s fair to say that this is really not good news.

The Apple TV 4K now starts at £199 / $199 / AU$299 (originally £149 / $130 / AU$219) for the 64GB version, or £249 / $249 / AU$399 (originally £169 / $179 / $249) for the 128GB with ethernet. And this, we remind you, is the 2022 version, so it has been on the market for almost four years now.

The HomePod range hasn’t got off lightly either. The HomePod 2 now costs £349 / $349 / AU$549 – up from £299 / $299 / AU$479 – while the HomePod Mini (which launched in 2020 and hasn’t really been updated since) is now £129 / $129 / AU$199, up from £99 / $99 / AU$149.

There are price hikes across Apple’s iPad and Mac devices too.

The only products that appear to be mostly untouched are the iPhones and AirPods ranges; in fact, it looks like the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC have dropped by £10 for both models.

If you had been holding out in the hope of new models launching – rumours of a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod with a display have been circulating for years – you might be better off pulling the trigger and snapping up the current-gen models from the retailers that haven't yet caught on to the price increases.

We have rounded up the retailers from the UK, US and Australia that are still selling these products for their original prices at the time of writing.

There’s no guarantee that these original prices will stick around, or if they will be updated in the next couple of hours.

Apple TV 4K (2022)

Apple HomePod 2

Apple HomePod Mini

MORE:

Check out the best Prime Day deals on AV and hi-fi tech

Here are our picks for the best wireless speakers

As well as the best streaming devices

This isn’t my first Prime Day rodeo.

After covering more Amazon-led sales events than I care to count, I always bet on the company to discount its range of first-party AV devices, and for good reason, too.

The company practically always slashes the prices of its Fire TV range of devices, and my advice (even when reviewing them at full price) is to wait until a Prime Day or Black Friday sale to get the best deal.

In fact, during our Prime Day predictions roundup (spearheaded by our deals aficionado Daniel Furn), I said that I'd "eat my proverbial hat" if the Fire TV streaming sticks aren't heavily discounted.

Luckily for me, there will be no hat eating, as the Award-winning Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) is currently enjoying a pretty tasty discount.

Tongue twister of a name aside, this super-effective streamer offers up a simple proposition: you give it one of your TV’s HDMI sockets, and in return you get a pretty potent streaming upgrade.

We reviewed it at £70, making it one of the most affordable (if not the most affordable) products to enter our AV testing room, but you’ll find that price has been drastically reduced in the UK and the US.

We said that the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) “might just be the easiest no-brainer buy in the AV world,” in our full review, and with its price slashed in half, it somehow becomes even easier to recommend.

We approved of its detailed and rich picture, comprehensive coverage of all HDR formats, and impressive range of streaming apps on offer; it really is the full streaming package.

Our review highlights a "sharp and engaging picture", with excellent motion and a balanced approach to colours. It also sounds good, with a clear approach to dialogue, and music sounds warmer and more detailed compared to the competing Google TV Streamer.

Now, in an era of smart TVs, a dedicated streaming device may sound like a pointless recommendation. Still, we've found that you can get tangible picture and sound improvements by plugging in a dedicated streamer.

We've also tested plenty of projectors that don't have streaming platforms built in, and our advice to anyone suffering with a sluggish, older 4K TV who isn't ready to upgrade yet is to invest in a streaming stick (like the Fire TV Stick 4K Max) for a smoother experience.

At a discounted price of £40 on Amazon UK or $35 at Amazon US, this streamer is the perfect choice for those wanting a Prime Day treat without breaking the bank.

MORE:

Which Amazon Fire TV streamer should you buy?

Read our full Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) review

And check out our picks for the best streaming devices

Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 live streams in Dubai

Viewers in Dubai can watch World Cup 2026 through beIN Sports on satellite, beIN Connect or TOD (be warned: you have to pay 700AED extra for TOD). The main tournament channels will be beIN Sports Max 1-6.

You do get a choice of languages: Arabic coverage will be shown on beIN Sports Max 1-4, English-language coverage on beIN Sports Max 5 and French-language coverage on beIN Sports Max 6.

But can you watch the World Cup for free in Dubai? And how can American, Australian and British expats watch their usual World Cup lives stream in The City of Gold?

Don't worry, we'll explain how to watch the World Cup in Dubai for free with this VPN trick...

Quick guide to FREE World Cup streams

Dubai has no free World Cup live streams. However, if you're working or vacationing in Dubai during the World Cup, you can use Norton VPN (try 60 days) to connect to your usual free World Cup live streams on the likes of BBC iPlayer in the UK, SBS in Australia and CazeTV's YouTube channel in Brazil.

Best websites with free World Cup streams:

• UK: BBC / ITV
• Australia: SBS On Demand
• Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube
• Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• Ireland: RTE Player
• Netherlands: NOS
• Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• Turkey: TRT

Watch World Cup 2026 live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular FIFA World Cup 2026 live streams while travelling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country, such as the Dubai, and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. Some VPNs don't work for this – but Norton VPN does, and we're using a lot.

You get a best-in-class 60-day money back guarantee and up to 63% off:

What internet speed do you need?

For the best experience when streaming World Cup matches live:

HD – 10Mbps+
Full HD – 20Mbps+
4K UHD – 25Mbps+

• I found all the ways to watch World Cup in 4K

Thanks to Norton VPN, if you find yourself in Dubai – or indeed the UAE – during the 2026 World Cup, you can easily access free World Cup coverage from your home country, potentially even watching the games completely free if you're usually based in the UK, Australia or even the USA.

FIFA World Cup 2026 fixtures and dates

Thursday, June 18
Czechia vs South Africa (Group A): 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST
Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Canada vs Qatar (Group B): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Mexico vs South Korea (Group A): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Fri.)

Friday, June 19
USA vs Australia (Group D): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Scotland vs Morocco (Group C): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Brazil vs Haiti (Group C): 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT / 1:30 a.m. BST (Sat.)
Turkey vs Paraguay (Group D): 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Sat.)

Saturday, June 20
Netherlands vs Sweden (Group F): 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
Germany vs Côte d’Ivoire (Group E): 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Ecuador vs Curaçao (Group E): 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Sun.)
Tunisia vs Japan (Group F): 12 a.m. ET (Sun.) / 9 p.m. PT / 5 a.m. BST (Sun.)

Sunday, June 21
Spain vs Saudi Arabia (Group H): 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST
Belgium vs Iran (Group G): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Uruguay vs Cape Verde (Group H): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
New Zealand vs Egypt (Group G): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Mon.)

Monday, June 22
Argentina vs Austria (Group J): 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
France vs Iraq (Group I): 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
Norway vs Senegal (Group I): 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Tue.)
Jordan vs Algeria (Group J): 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Tue.)

Tuesday, June 23
Portugal vs Uzbekistan (Group K): 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
England vs Ghana (Group L): 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Panama vs Croatia (Group L): 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Wed.)
Colombia vs DR Congo (Group K): 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Wed.)

Wednesday, June 24
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar (Group B): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Switzerland vs Canada (Group B): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Morocco vs Haiti (Group C): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Scotland vs Brazil (Group C): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Czechia vs Mexico (Group A): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Thu.)
South Africa vs South Korea (Group A): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Thu.)

Thursday, June 25
Curaçao vs Côte d’Ivoire (Group E): 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Ecuador vs Germany (Group E): 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Japan vs Sweden (Group F): 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Fri.)
Tunisia vs Netherlands (Group F): 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Fri.)
Paraguay vs Australia (Group D): 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Fri.)
Turkey vs USA (Group D): 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Fri.)

Friday, June 26
Norway vs France (Group I): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Senegal vs Iraq (Group I): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (Group H): 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Sat.)
Uruguay vs Spain (Group H): 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Sat.)
Egypt vs Iran (Group G): 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Sat.)
New Zealand vs Belgium (Group G): 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Sat.)

Saturday, June 27
Croatia vs Ghana (Group L): 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
Panama vs England (Group L): 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
Colombia vs Portugal: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT / 12:30 a.m. BST (Sun.)
DR Congo vs Uzbekistan: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT / 12:30 a.m. BST (Sun.)
Algeria vs Austria: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Sun.)
Jordan vs Argentina: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Sun.)

Sunday, June 28 — Round of 32
Runner-up Group A vs Runner-up Group B: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

Monday, June 29 — Round of 32
Winner Group C vs Runner-up Group F: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
Winner Group E vs Third Place Group A/B/C/D/F: 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT / 9:30 p.m. BST
Winner Group F vs Runner-up Group C: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Tue.)

Tuesday, June 30 — Round of 32
Runner-up Group E vs Runner-up Group I: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
Winner Group I vs Third Place Group C/D/F/G/H: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
Winner Group A vs Third Place Group C/E/F/H/I: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Wed.)

Wednesday, July 1 — Round of 32
Winner Group L vs Third Place Group E/H/I/J/K: 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST
Winner Group G vs Third Place Group A/E/H/I/J: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Winner Group D vs Third Place Group B/E/F/I/J: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Thu.)

Thursday, July 2 — Round of 32
Winner Group H vs Runner-up Group J: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Runner-up Group K vs Runner-up Group L: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Fri.)
Winner Group B vs Third Place Group E/F/G/I/J: 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Fri.)

Friday, July 3 —Round of 32
Runner-up Group D vs Runner-up Group G: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. BST
Winner Group J vs Runner-up Group H: 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Winner Group K vs Third Place Group D/E/I/J/L: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT / 2:30 a.m. BST (Sat.)

Saturday, July 4 — Round of 16
TBC vs TBC: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST

Sunday, July 5 — Round of 16
TBC vs TBC: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Mon.)

Monday, July 6 – Round of 16
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Tue.)

Tuesday, July 7 – Round of 16
TBC vs TBC: 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST

Thursday, July 9 — Quarter-finals
TBC vs TBC: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST

Friday, July 10 — Quarter-finals
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

Saturday, July 11 — Quarter-finals
TBC vs TBC: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Sun.)

Tuesday, July 14 — Semi-finals
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

Wednesday, July 15 — Semi-finals
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

Saturday, July 18 — Third-place playoff
TBC vs TBC: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST

Sunday, July 19 — Final
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

• Our full streaming guide: How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup
• I'm Indian – here's how to watch the World Cup in India
• Expert TV advice: best OLED TVs for sports fans

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Bose is launching its own record label, but not in the traditional sense. Bose Studios is described as a "music-focused content platform" which will combine "original content, artist-led experiences, music TV and film projects, and partnerships designed to help fans discover new artists and connect more deeply with music."

But questions remain over exactly how it will work.

Bose CMO Jim Mollica told Business Insider that Bose Studios won't aim to compete with the big three record labels, and that it will help break under-appreciated or new artists. Bose won't take a cut of their sales or streams, and won't own the masters, but it will be able to use the music in its adverts.

Bose artists will also be free to sign with other labels.

Mollica promised its original TV and film projects have attracted "some legendary Hollywood names", though he stopped short of naming them. We're also promised a YouTube series, podcasts, and live music events.

It's all a way of giving people "a deeper connection to the music they love," Bose says. The fact it describes this as a shift for the brand as it "expands beyond traditional campaign marketing and invests more directly in music culture" suggests its core business of selling speakers and headphones won't be going anywhere.

Bose has previously formed relationships with artists through its marketing. Earlier this year, it collaborated with Grammy-nominated Twitch streamer PlaqueBoyMax, who created music on the hoof for a livestream during the NBA's All-Star weekend.

We've contacted Bose for more information. Bose will announce its first artist soon, which it says "will provide more context around the platform."

MORE:

How record shops are thriving in the digital age

The best music streaming services

The best record players you can buy

Oh, Tidal, the love-hate relationship that you and I have.

I am, on the whole, immensely fond of the Norwegian-American hi-res service, having used it as my streaming platform of choice for the past three and a half years.

The music quality remains top-notch, the in-house catalogue is impressive, and it makes me seem cooler whenever normal people ask me which service I’m subscribed to and I reply with something other than Spotify or Apple Music. They do tend to walk away whenever I start talking about bit rates and the death of MQA, though.

My problem with Tidal has always been its pretty mediocre levels of usability, which often threaten to mar your experience and take the shine off those otherwise sparkling hi-res tracks. Strange organisation schedules, ropey CarPlay, unwanted glitches – it’s hardly been plain sailing, but we’ve always managed to muddle through.

The biggest issue I had with Tidal was its handling of downloads. This might seem like a niche concern, especially in an age where you could probably get a reasonably steady wi-fi connection at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, but it matters to me.

It matters because I do a fair bit of travelling, mainly for work, and most planes still don’t offer wi-fi as standard. Even if they do, it often comes with a price attached, especially on long-haul flights. Honestly, it’s like living in the Dark Ages.

Hence, being able to download my music and, crucially, have it work once I’m offline and 40,000 feet in the air, matters. Nobody wants to spend a chunk of their afternoon downloading their extensive back catalogue of songs onto their iPhone, only to discover that, once they’re halfway over France, none of them will play.

That, by the way, is exactly what happened when I was taking a trip to Germany a few months ago and found that only a few of my precious tunes seemed to be working. Despite having downloaded my entire Tidal catalogue – and feeling smug while waiting to board – some songs wouldn’t play. Some would, some wouldn’t, and there was no immediate way of identifying which was which.

Thankfully, the issue seems to have been rectified. Tidal has given its download interface a bit of an overhaul, with a revamped section displaying all of your downloaded tracks in a separate corner of the app.

From here, you can access all your safely banked tunes even when offline, without the app telling you, as it has sometimes done before, that you need to be online, despite the song clearly showing up in the playlist you just downloaded. Make sense of that, philosophy majors.

The experience is far better now. It’s more stable, straightforward and secure, and that lottery of finding out which of your songs has actually made the cut seems to be a thing of the past.

On a more recent trip to Austria for the High End Vienna showcase, all of my downloaded music worked just as it should. No guessing which tracks would work, no glitches on my saved songs, no asking the air stewards for sedatives or a spare parachute.

Things still aren’t perfect, of course. The fact that you still can’t download individual tracks continues to boggle my brain, especially as it must be such a simple thing to implement.

You can go through songs individually and have them saved onto your device on Spotify and Qobuz, but with Tidal, you still have to add songs to your collection or other playlists before you can have them for your own. It’s like some sort of weird loyalty test to make sure you’re serious about the commitment.

Things aren’t entirely rosy once you’re offline and up in the (metaphorical) clouds, either. You can’t queue tracks when in offline mode, even if they’ve been downloaded, which seems like an odd blind spot. Try to do so, and you’ll just get a network error on an angry red banner. Don’t get angry at me, Tidal; it’s a perfectly reasonable request.

Plus, it is still tricky to tell what has and hasn’t been downloaded. Yes, it should be safe to assume that everything within your download section should now be saved onto your device, but given the glitches I’ve experienced in the past, Tidal needs to work pretty hard to regain my trust.

Having differentiation for when you’re not in your download section is where this would come in really handy, putting you in a far better position to figure out which songs potentially aren’t going to be available when you take your next trip.

Again, on Spotify, you’ll have a big green arrow distinguishing which tracks are downloaded and which aren’t, making the whole thing much more straightforward. Pretty simple, right?

All in all, though, Tidal is moving in the right direction. The developers tend to find time to make frequent updates and amendments to the platform’s interface, and they’re transparent about what they’ve added and why they’ve done so.

Downloads were a huge blind spot in the past, but there are positive signs that the issues which have dogged my experience are steadily being rectified.

If so, I can finally enjoy my glamorous jet set lifestyle without the fear of it lacking the appropriate soundtrack. I might pack my own parachute, though. Just in case…

MORE:

Why the time is right for a new Sony Walkman

“It would be disingenuous to say that we have a plan for attracting younger music fans” – AudioQuest on the new DragonFly and getting Gen Z into hi-fi

These are the best music streaming services

Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 live streams in the UAE

The UAE beat Bolivia to secure a spot in the intercontinental playoff finals, but were denied a World Cup 2026 berth after losing to Iraq. But, despite not being able to cheer for their home team, football fans in the UAE are keen to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

But can you watch the World Cup free live streams from the UAE?

While beIN Sports will be offering every game live in one place, football fans visiting the Middle East can watch the World Cup for free in the UAE – we'll show you how below.

How to watch the World Cup 2026 in the UAE

All 104 matches in the World Cup 2026 is being shown by beIN Sports across 24 MENA countries, including the UAE.

Cord-cutters can catch all the action live online via beIN Connect and TOD (which has partnered with Talabat), with coverage available in up to 4K HDR.

For TV users, there are six dedicated beIN Sports Max channels, beIN Sports 4K HDR, and beIN Sports News. Coverage will be in Arabic on beIN Sports Max 1-4, English on beIN Sports Max 5, and French on beIN Sports Max 6.

beIN Sports packages start at $8/month for five channels on the Together plan, while the Premium plan costs $30/month and provides access to 24 beIN Sports channels. Alternatively, the Talabat Pro + TOD bundle is available for Dh329/year (roughly $90/year).

However, you can only access World Cup 2026 live streams on beIN Sports with a UAE IP address. Abroad right now? Here’s how to unblock beIN Sports from anywhere in the world...

Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 for free in UAE

The UAE is one of the few countries with no free World Cup live streams. However, if you're traveling in the UAE during the World Cup, you can use a VPN to connect to a server in your usual country and watch free streams on the likes of BBC iPlayer in the UK, SBS in Australia and CazeTV's YouTube channel in Brazil.

Here are the countries showing every game of the FIFA World Cup 2026 for free:

• UK: BBC / ITV
• Australia: SBS On Demand
• Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube
• Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• Ireland: RTE Player
• Netherlands: NOS
• Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• Turkey: TRT

Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular FIFA World Cup 2026 live streams while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country, such as the UAE, and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. Some VPNs don't work for this – but Norton VPN does, and we're using a lot.

Plus you get a best-in-class 60-day money back guarantee if you're not happy with it.

Which UAE Pro League players are at World Cup 2026?

As many as 14 UAE Pro League players are playing in the FIFA World Cup 2026:

• Al Bataeh's Diney for Cape Verde
• Al Jazira's Simon Banza for DR Congo
• Al Ain's Ramy Rabia for Egypt
• Al Ahli Dubai's Saeid Ezatolahi for Iran
• Al Ittihad Kalba's Saman Ghoddos for Iran
• Al Ittihad Kalba's Shahriar Moghanlou for Iran
• Al Nasr Dubai's Mehdi Ghayedi for Iran
• Al Wahda's Mohammad Ghorbani for Iran
• Al Dhafra's Ibrahim Bayesh for Iraq
• Dibba Al Fujairah's Mohanad Ali for Iraq
• Al Ain's Soufiane Rahimi for Morocco
• Al Bataeh's Aziz Ganiev for Uzbekistan
• Baniyas' Otabek Shukurov for Uzbekistan
• Dibba Al Fujairah's Abdulla Abdullaev for Uzbekistan

Thanks to Norton VPN, if you find yourself in the UAE during the month-long World Cup, you can easily access free World Cup coverage from your home country, potentially even watching the games completely free if you're usually based outside the UAE.

FIFA World Cup 2026 fixtures and dates

Thursday, June 18
Czechia vs South Africa (Group A): 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST
Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Canada vs Qatar (Group B): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Mexico vs South Korea (Group A): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Fri.)

Friday, June 19
USA vs Australia (Group D): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Scotland vs Morocco (Group C): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Brazil vs Haiti (Group C): 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT / 1:30 a.m. BST (Sat.)
Turkey vs Paraguay (Group D): 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Sat.)

Saturday, June 20
Netherlands vs Sweden (Group F): 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
Germany vs Côte d’Ivoire (Group E): 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Ecuador vs Curaçao (Group E): 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Sun.)
Tunisia vs Japan (Group F): 12 a.m. ET (Sun.) / 9 p.m. PT / 5 a.m. BST (Sun.)

Sunday, June 21
Spain vs Saudi Arabia (Group H): 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST
Belgium vs Iran (Group G): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Uruguay vs Cape Verde (Group H): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
New Zealand vs Egypt (Group G): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Mon.)

Monday, June 22
Argentina vs Austria (Group J): 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
France vs Iraq (Group I): 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
Norway vs Senegal (Group I): 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Tue.)
Jordan vs Algeria (Group J): 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Tue.)

Tuesday, June 23
Portugal vs Uzbekistan (Group K): 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
England vs Ghana (Group L): 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Panama vs Croatia (Group L): 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Wed.)
Colombia vs DR Congo (Group K): 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Wed.)

Wednesday, June 24
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar (Group B): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Switzerland vs Canada (Group B): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Morocco vs Haiti (Group C): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Scotland vs Brazil (Group C): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Czechia vs Mexico (Group A): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Thu.)
South Africa vs South Korea (Group A): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Thu.)

Thursday, June 25
Curaçao vs Côte d’Ivoire (Group E): 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Ecuador vs Germany (Group E): 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Japan vs Sweden (Group F): 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Fri.)
Tunisia vs Netherlands (Group F): 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Fri.)
Paraguay vs Australia (Group D): 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Fri.)
Turkey vs USA (Group D): 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Fri.)

Friday, June 26
Norway vs France (Group I): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Senegal vs Iraq (Group I): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (Group H): 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Sat.)
Uruguay vs Spain (Group H): 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Sat.)
Egypt vs Iran (Group G): 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Sat.)
New Zealand vs Belgium (Group G): 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Sat.)

Saturday, June 27
Croatia vs Ghana (Group L): 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
Panama vs England (Group L): 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
Colombia vs Portugal: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT / 12:30 a.m. BST (Sun.)
DR Congo vs Uzbekistan: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT / 12:30 a.m. BST (Sun.)
Algeria vs Austria: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Sun.)
Jordan vs Argentina: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Sun.)

Sunday, June 28 — Round of 32
Runner-up Group A vs Runner-up Group B: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

Monday, June 29 — Round of 32
Winner Group C vs Runner-up Group F: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
Winner Group E vs Third Place Group A/B/C/D/F: 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT / 9:30 p.m. BST
Winner Group F vs Runner-up Group C: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Tue.)

Tuesday, June 30 — Round of 32
Runner-up Group E vs Runner-up Group I: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
Winner Group I vs Third Place Group C/D/F/G/H: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
Winner Group A vs Third Place Group C/E/F/H/I: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Wed.)

Wednesday, July 1 — Round of 32
Winner Group L vs Third Place Group E/H/I/J/K: 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST
Winner Group G vs Third Place Group A/E/H/I/J: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Winner Group D vs Third Place Group B/E/F/I/J: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Thu.)

Thursday, July 2 — Round of 32
Winner Group H vs Runner-up Group J: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Runner-up Group K vs Runner-up Group L: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Fri.)
Winner Group B vs Third Place Group E/F/G/I/J: 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Fri.)

Friday, July 3 —Round of 32
Runner-up Group D vs Runner-up Group G: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. BST
Winner Group J vs Runner-up Group H: 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Winner Group K vs Third Place Group D/E/I/J/L: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT / 2:30 a.m. BST (Sat.)

Saturday, July 4 — Round of 16
TBC vs TBC: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST

Sunday, July 5 — Round of 16
TBC vs TBC: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Mon.)

Monday, July 6 – Round of 16
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Tue.)

Tuesday, July 7 – Round of 16
TBC vs TBC: 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST

Thursday, July 9 — Quarter-finals
TBC vs TBC: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST

Friday, July 10 — Quarter-finals
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

Saturday, July 11 — Quarter-finals
TBC vs TBC: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Sun.)

Tuesday, July 14 — Semi-finals
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

Wednesday, July 15 — Semi-finals
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

Saturday, July 18 — Third-place playoff
TBC vs TBC: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST

Sunday, July 19 — Final
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

• Expert TV advice: best OLED TVs for sports fans
• Our full streaming guide: How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup
• I found all the ways to watch the World Cup in 4K – but there's a catch
• I'm Indian – here's how to watch the World Cup in India

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 live streams in India

The biggest World Cup Final ever is moments away as Lionel Messi's Argentina go up against Spain. But how can football fans in India watch the World Cup free?

Luckily for football fans in India – who were left without an official broadcaster for months as negotiations dragged on, partly due to concerns over the late-night kick-off times – ZEE has finally struck a deal with FIFA to broadcast the 2026 World Cup final on July 19.

But can you watch ZEE5 from anywhere in the world? And are there any free Indian streams? Follow our guide below for where to watch FIFA World Cup 2026 live streams in India, including free streams.

How to watch the World Cup Final 2026 in India

All 104 matches in the World Cup 2026 – including Spain vs Argentina – are being shown by ZEE, after it struck a last-minute deal with FIFA, which includes broadcasting rights for a total of 39 FIFA events from 2026 to 2034.

Cord-cutters can catch all the action live online via the ZEE5 website or mobile apps.

For TV users, Zee has launched four dedicated sports TV channels (Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV).

There are two main plans to choose from. The Zee5 All Access + Sports plan costs Rs 799 for 3 months, while the Zee5 Premium plan is priced at Rs 1,699 per year. The latter includes streaming options at 4K Ultra HD, support for Dolby Atmos, and permission to stream on up to four devices simultaneously.

However, you can only access World Cup 2026 live streams on Zee5 with an Indian IP address. Abroad right now? Here’s how to unblock Zee5 from anywhere in the world...

Can I watch World Cup FINAL for FREE in India

Technically, yes. While DD Sports (through DD Free Dish) will be showing World Cup matches for free in India, they'll only broadcast the quarterfinals, semi-finals, and Spain vs Argentina final. Nothing more!

However, if you're traveling in India during the World Cup, you can use a VPN to connect to a server in your usual country and watch free streams on the likes of BBC iPlayer in the UK, SBS in Australia and CazeTV's YouTube channel in Brazil.

Here are the countries showing every game of the FIFA World Cup 2026 for free:

• UK: BBC / ITV
• Australia: SBS On Demand
• Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube
• Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• Ireland: RTE Player
• Netherlands: NOS
• Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• Turkey: TRT

Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular FIFA World Cup 2026 live streams on Zee5 while traveling outside India. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch any local World Cup 2026 live stream from anywhere in the world.

We rate Norton VPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sport. It offers a best-in-class 60-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

Is ZEE5 the best way to watch World Cup 2026 in India?

Several issues have emerged with ZEE5 over the last couple of weeks. First, the platform sneakily reduced the number of simultaneous connections from three to one under its Rs 799/3-month plan, with the change even applying to existing subscribers.

However, following heavy backlash online, particularly on platforms like X, ZEE5 restored the plan to its original format. One X user (@Sooraj9847) even called it "The biggest scam in the history of Indian digital platforms".

Users in India are also complaining that ZEE5 isn't delivering the promised 4K video quality on its Rs 1,699 plan. Combined with a broadcast glitch during the Mexico vs South Africa opener, as well as ad cuts just seconds after the final whistle, this has led to considerable frustration among football fans in India.

Thanks to Norton VPN, however, if you find yourself in India during the month-long World Cup, you can easily access free World Cup coverage from your home country, potentially even watching the games completely free if you're usual based outside India

FIFA World Cup 2026 fixtures and dates

Wednesday, June 17
Portugal vs DR Congo (Group K): 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
England vs Croatia (Group L): 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Ghana vs Panama (Group L): 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Thu.)
Uzbekistan vs Colombia (Group K): 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Thu.)

Thursday, June 18
Czechia vs South Africa (Group A): 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST
Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Canada vs Qatar (Group B): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Mexico vs South Korea (Group A): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Fri.)

Friday, June 19
USA vs Australia (Group D): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Scotland vs Morocco (Group C): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Brazil vs Haiti (Group C): 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT / 1:30 a.m. BST (Sat.)
Turkey vs Paraguay (Group D): 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Sat.)

Saturday, June 20
Netherlands vs Sweden (Group F): 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
Germany vs Côte d’Ivoire (Group E): 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Ecuador vs Curaçao (Group E): 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Sun.)
Tunisia vs Japan (Group F): 12 a.m. ET (Sun.) / 9 p.m. PT / 5 a.m. BST (Sun.)

Sunday, June 21
Spain vs Saudi Arabia (Group H): 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST
Belgium vs Iran (Group G): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Uruguay vs Cape Verde (Group H): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
New Zealand vs Egypt (Group G): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Mon.)

Monday, June 22
Argentina vs Austria (Group J): 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
France vs Iraq (Group I): 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
Norway vs Senegal (Group I): 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Tue.)
Jordan vs Algeria (Group J): 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Tue.)

Tuesday, June 23
Portugal vs Uzbekistan (Group K): 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
England vs Ghana (Group L): 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Panama vs Croatia (Group L): 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Wed.)
Colombia vs DR Congo (Group K): 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Wed.)

Wednesday, June 24
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar (Group B): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Switzerland vs Canada (Group B): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Morocco vs Haiti (Group C): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Scotland vs Brazil (Group C): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Czechia vs Mexico (Group A): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Thu.)
South Africa vs South Korea (Group A): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Thu.)

Thursday, June 25
Curaçao vs Côte d’Ivoire (Group E): 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Ecuador vs Germany (Group E): 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Japan vs Sweden (Group F): 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Fri.)
Tunisia vs Netherlands (Group F): 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Fri.)
Paraguay vs Australia (Group D): 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Fri.)
Turkey vs USA (Group D): 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Fri.)

Friday, June 26
Norway vs France (Group I): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Senegal vs Iraq (Group I): 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (Group H): 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Sat.)
Uruguay vs Spain (Group H): 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Sat.)
Egypt vs Iran (Group G): 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Sat.)
New Zealand vs Belgium (Group G): 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Sat.)

Saturday, June 27
Croatia vs Ghana (Group L): 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
Panama vs England (Group L): 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
Colombia vs Portugal: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT / 12:30 a.m. BST (Sun.)
DR Congo vs Uzbekistan: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT / 12:30 a.m. BST (Sun.)
Algeria vs Austria: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Sun.)
Jordan vs Argentina: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (Sun.)

Sunday, June 28 — Round of 32
Runner-up Group A vs Runner-up Group B: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

Monday, June 29 — Round of 32
Winner Group C vs Runner-up Group F: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
Winner Group E vs Third Place Group A/B/C/D/F: 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT / 9:30 p.m. BST
Winner Group F vs Runner-up Group C: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Tue.)

Tuesday, June 30 — Round of 32
Runner-up Group E vs Runner-up Group I: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
Winner Group I vs Third Place Group C/D/F/G/H: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
Winner Group A vs Third Place Group C/E/F/H/I: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Wed.)

Wednesday, July 1 — Round of 32
Winner Group L vs Third Place Group E/H/I/J/K: 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST
Winner Group G vs Third Place Group A/E/H/I/J: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
Winner Group D vs Third Place Group B/E/F/I/J: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Thu.)

Thursday, July 2 — Round of 32
Winner Group H vs Runner-up Group J: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Runner-up Group K vs Runner-up Group L: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Fri.)
Winner Group B vs Third Place Group E/F/G/I/J: 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (Fri.)

Friday, July 3 —Round of 32
Runner-up Group D vs Runner-up Group G: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. BST
Winner Group J vs Runner-up Group H: 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Winner Group K vs Third Place Group D/E/I/J/L: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT / 2:30 a.m. BST (Sat.)

Saturday, July 4 — Round of 16
TBC vs TBC: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST

Sunday, July 5 — Round of 16
TBC vs TBC: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Mon.)

Monday, July 6 – Round of 16
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Tue.)

Tuesday, July 7 – Round of 16
TBC vs TBC: 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST

Thursday, July 9 — Quarter-finals
TBC vs TBC: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST

Friday, July 10 — Quarter-finals
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

Saturday, July 11 — Quarter-finals
TBC vs TBC: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
TBC vs TBC: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (Sun.)

Tuesday, July 14 — Semi-finals
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

Wednesday, July 15 — Semi-finals
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

Saturday, July 18 — Third-place playoff
TBC vs TBC: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST

Sunday, July 19 — Final
TBC vs TBC: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

• I found all the ways to watch the World Cup in 4K – but there's a catch
• Expert TV advice: best OLED TVs for sports fans
• Our full streaming guide: How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Watch England vs Croatia live streams

England begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against familiar foes Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Three Lions are desperate to end a 60-year wait for their second World Cup triumph, and there could be no better way of laying down a marker than by beating the side that knocked them out in the 2018 semi-finals.

Thomas Tuchel's men stormed through UEFA qualifying with eight wins from eight and no goals conceded. However, their recent form in international friendlies has been less convincing. England drew with Uruguay and lost to Japan in the spring, before needing a Harry Kane strike to edge past New Zealand 1-0. They did, though, look better most recently in a 3-0 defeat of Costa Rica.

Croatia have also had a mixed build-up to the tournament – the Vatreni lost to Brazil and Belgium before only narrowly beating Slovenia last week. Nevertheless, the 2018 runners-up remain international football's great overachievers and are one of only two nations, alongside France, to have reached the semi-finals of the past two World Cups.

Soon-to-depart head coach Zlatko Dalić will once again lean on the experienced trio of Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić and Ivan Perišić. Coach and players were all there when Croatia beat England in 2018, and their know-how will be crucial if they're to produce another deep run in the competition.

Follow our guide below for where to watch England vs Croatia live streams from anywhere with a VPN.

How to watch England vs Croatia for free

England vs Croatia is free-to-air in multiple countries across the globe:

• UK: ITV (English commentary)
• Australia: SBS On Demand (English commentary)
• Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube (4K) (no account required)
• Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• Canada: CTV (TV provider details required)
• Croatia: HRT
• France: M6
• Germany: ZDF
• Ireland: RTE Player (English commentary)
• Italy: Rai
• Mexico: TV Azteca
• Netherlands: NOS
• Spain: RTVE
• Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• Turkey: TRT

If you're from one of these countries but are currently abroad and want to watch England vs Croatia live, you can simply use a VPN. More details below...

Watch England vs Croatia live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular England vs Croatia live streams while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, allowing you to watch any World Cup 2026 live stream from anywhere in the world.

We rate Norton VPN as one of the best VPNs for streaming sport - get up to 63% off with our deal....

Watch England vs Croatia live streams in the US

As mentioned above, England vs Croatia in the US will be shown on FOX, which will be carrying 70 games this tournament.

If you've cut the cord, you can get Fox (or FS1 for the remaining 34 matches) through a Live TV streaming option, such as YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (selected cities), Fubo, or DirecTV.

Alternatively, you can tune in via FOX One, which comes with a 3-day free trial, after which it costs $19.99/month.

To access your usual streaming service from outside the US, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.

• Expert TV advice: I found all the ways to watch the World Cup in 4k

Watch England vs Croatia live streams in the UK

England vs Croatia will be broadcast free-to-air in the UK on ITV1 and ITVX, and all you need is a valid TV licence to stream the match from anywhere, completely FREE.

Sam Matterface is expected to be lead commentator, with Lee Dixon on co-commentary.

Outside the UK during the opening night? Use Norton VPN to watch England vs Croatia as if you were back at home.

Watch England vs Croatia live streams in Australia

England vs Croatia will be broadcast for free in Australia, thanks to SBS.

Cord-cutters can catch all the action via the SBS On Demand streaming service and app.

Again, you'll need to use a safe, reliable VPN to access SBS On Demand when traveling outside of Australia. We use Norton VPN, which is super-simple and fast.

Watch England vs Croatia live streams in Canada

Football fans in Canada can watch England v Croatia free on CTV, but only if they have a cable provider.

The match will also be available to watch on TSN, as well as its online streaming platform TSN+, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.

TSN will have all 104 games from this tournament with CTV only carrying a selection.

Traveling outside Canada? Use Norton VPN to watch England vs Croatia as if you were back at home.

England vs Croatia: Q+A

• Fancy an upgrade? Here are the best TVs
• I found all the ways to watch World Cup in 4K
• How to watch 2026 FIFA World Cup online

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

The FIFA World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, if not the biggest: a staggeringly popular celebration of sport, teamwork and international co-operation.

But it's also one of the most-watched events across the globe, requiring an awfully complex behind-the-scenes operation to broadcast – and this often leads to breakthroughs and firsts when it comes to audio and video in our living rooms.

So, down below, we're going to give you a history of the World Cup, What Hi-Fi? style. There won't be any goal statistics or player rankings here. Instead, we will go through all the World Cups that saw notable advances in TV and broadcasting technology.

How many of these do you remember? Have a look below...

Switzerland 1954: the first televised World Cup

Although the World Cup started in 1930, it wasn't until the fifth tournament, in 1954, that television cameras turned up. The BBC broadcast matches live here in the UK thanks to the recently installed Eurovision network, which could relay television signals across Europe.

ITV joined the coverage for Sweden 1958, but the Eurovision network's limitations became apparent in 1962 when the World Cup moved to Chile. With no practical way to transmit live pictures across the Atlantic, footage had to be physically transported instead, and British viewers often had to wait days to see the action.

Mexico 1970: the first World Cup in colour

While some of the 1966 World Cup had been filmed using the technology, the 1970 World Cup in Mexico was the first produced and distributed internationally in glorious colour.

It was also the first World Cup held outside Europe to be broadcast live around the world via satellite, allowing fans thousands of miles away to watch matches as they happened rather than waiting for film reels to arrive days later.

Football fans will remember the tournament as the last World Cup to feature Pelé, as well as a memorable save from England goalkeeper Gordon Banks after a header by the Brazilian striker.

Germany 2006: the first World Cup in HD

While parts of the 2002 World Cup were available in HD in Asia, 2006 was the first time every match of the tournament was filmed and broadcast in HD.

It was also the first World Cup produced entirely in the 16:9 widescreen format, after the technology had been introduced for the 1998 World Cup in France.

South Africa 2010: the first World Cup in 3D

Now here's a throwback: fresh off the success of Avatar, the FIFA World Cup joined the 3D craze for the 2010 tournament in South Africa thanks to a partnership with Sony.

25 matches were broadcast in 3D, but only to select public viewing areas across the world, and the technology did not return for the next World Cup.

HD TV sales had exceeded 24 million in the UK by this point, and the advent of Freeview HD meant over half of UK households had access to HD-quality broadcasts.

2010 also saw ITV's first widespread HD coverage following trials in 2006 – though an ill-timed error meant HD viewers missed Steven Gerrard's opening goal against the USA.

Russia 2018: the first World Cup in 4K (and VR)

While there had been earlier trials, this was the first time every single match had been produced in 4K UHD and HDR.

In the UK, selected viewers could watch matches in 4K HDR via a limited-capacity BBC iPlayer trial.

The broadcaster also trialled virtual reality coverage – those with a smartphone or compatible VR headset could watch from a virtual private box, complete with a pitch view and a coffee table complete with stats.

North America 2026: The future?

While matches have been filmed in 8K as far back as 2014 (Japanese broadcaster NHK recorded nine matches in 8K to show on massive 330-inch screens), it looks unlikely to be adopted as a tournament-wide format anytime soon, especially with yet more manufacturers leaving the 8K TV market.

While some international broadcasters are offering the tournament in Dolby Atmos (Peacock in the US, for example), UK viewers – even those watching in 4K HDR via BBC iPlayer – miss out on immersive audio.

Given that 4K streams over BBC iPlayer still come with a delay of 30 seconds or more, it seems there are still some flaws to iron out before the next big AV development hits the World Cup – at least for UK-based football fans.

One day, though, I surely won't have to choose between watching in 4K and having my neighbours spoil an England goal...

MORE:

The headphones World Cup: from Beats to Bose, which audio brands are winning over football's elite?

What's better for a World Cup TV – size or quality?

We've built an awesome playlist that features a local artist from every World Cup 2026 host city

Streaming giant Roku is about to be acquired by Fox. The American media empire, Fox, has announced an acquisition of the company, covering its hardware, software, and services, in a deal worth $22 billion.

That's roughly £16.4 billion or AU$31 billion, using currency conversion, at the time of writing.

Roku currently produces a wide array of streaming devices, as well as affordable TVs manufactured in partnership with the likes of TCL, Sharp and JVC. The company recently launched its first projector, too.

According to the research firm Parks Associates (via BBC News), Roku is the largest smart platform in the US, powering more than a quarter of internet-connected streaming devices. It's closely followed by Samsung's Tizen-powered devices and then devices running Amazon's Fire TV software platform.

Worldwide, it's reported that over 100 million households stream content using Roku devices and services.

While no news regarding Roku's hardware lineup has been announced as part of this deal, it appears Fox plans to capitalise on Roku's existing advertising reach through its The Roku Channel service.

Fox already owns the popular streaming service Tubi, which it could merge with Roku's service in the future.

We've contacted Roku for comment and will update this page when we hear back.

MORE:

Check out our list of the best streaming devices

As well as the best streaming services for movies and TV

And the best cheap TVs

Music streaming platform Deezer has launched an AI music detector, offering users across 20 of the most popular streaming services the chance to check what percentage of their playlists have been generated by artificial intelligence.

Users of Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music and other major platforms are now able to check their playlists by connecting their streaming accounts to Deezer’s free AI detection website.

Deezer’s internal AI detection tool has been in place since the start of 2025, making it the first music-streaming service to single out AI-generated music. Over 13.4 million AI tracks were pinpointed in 2025 alone, and Deezer now claims it receives 75,000 such tracks each day, accounting for 44 per cent of daily uploads.

The new tool allows Deezer to remove AI tracks from algorithmic recommendations and editorial playlists, an action the platform has called a “first step” in preserving the royalty pool for human creators.

A recent study by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) and management consulting firm PMP Strategy found that nearly a quarter of creators’ revenues could be at risk due to market penetration by generative AI by 2028, with yearly losses amounting to approximately €4 billion by that time.

Additionally, an eight-country survey from Deezer and IPSOS found that 97 per cent of listeners were unable to tell the difference between fully AI-generated and human-made music, while 73 per cent of respondents said they would like to see AI music tagged on streaming services.

Alexis Lanternier, Deezer’s CEO, said: "A vast majority of people want to know if AI music is being recommended to them and our data show that nearly half of the users joining Deezer from another platform have AI tracks in their playlists. We’re expecting our AI music detector to be an eye-opening experience for listeners around the world."

The What Hi-Fi? team tried this free tool, connecting our Tidal account so the website could scan our playlists. We were both pleased and surprised to find that one per cent of the music in our curated playlists has been generated by AI (as seen in screenshot above). Sadly, the tool does not then highlight which specific tracks have been artificially generated if you're using a non-Deezer music service.

A Deezer representative has confirmed to us that if you transfer your playlists and library to Deezer, "you’ll be able to see the albums that are tagged as including AI."

MORE

I’m nervous that Spotify has made an AI echo chamber for music fans

Hi-res music streaming services compared: is Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Amazon or Apple Music better?

Read our original Deezer review

Every team at this year's World Cup Finals will show up in a different kit, a newer and snazzier kit, than the one they wore last time. And yet somehow they'll all stand there in the baking heat just before kick-off, listening to the same old national anthem as the time before, and the time before that... so I think it's time for a change.

I think it's time we upgraded the national anthem of every country competing in the 2026 World Cup to feature newer and more interesting music, music written by their favourite sons or daughters. Imagine how lively the pre-match would be if this playlist was the soundtrack – and then please be upstanding...

• Listen to the full playlist on Tidal

Group A

Mexico

Rother, Dinger, You and Me by Antiguo Autómata Mexicana

This streamlined, low-temperature slice of microhouse is a nod towards Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger of kosmiche musik legends Neu! and is the opening track on the 2007 album by Angel Sanchez Borges under his ‘AAM’ alias. You weren’t expecting mariachi or something, were you?

Listen to the track on Tidal

South Africa

I Fink U Freeky by Die Antwoord

There’s the controversy around cultural appropriation, the allegations of homophobia and sexual assault that follow Die Antwoord around like a bad smell, the unflinchingly disturbing public personas and the shameless co-opting of working-class Afrikaner motifs. Then there’s the relentlessly abrasive music, some of which will live rent-free in your head for years.

Listen to the track on Tidal

South Korea

Charlie Brown​​ by The Kim Sisters

Long before the advent of K-Pop there was, well, K-Pop. The Kim Sisters played their own instruments, learned the lyrics of popular Western songs phonetically, and went down an absolute storm – their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show predates that of The Beatles by almost five years.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Czechia

Nic Než Láska Tvá by Karel Gott

Known during his six-decade career as ‘Golden Voice of Prague’ and ‘Sinatra of the East’, Karel Gott was a superstar in his native Czechia and a very big deal in other European territories too. Taken from Karel Gott 1974, this banger makes the accolades understandable (and also showcases his remarkable taste in bowties).

Listen to the track on Tidal

Group B

Canada

Sherpa by Angine de Poitrine

There’s more than enough that’s peculiar about Angine de Poitrine without the pretence that the pair of them are 333-year-old time travellers that take their inspiration from a monkey musical quartet from Borneo. Here’s the combination of math-rock and polka-dot papier-mâché you never knew you needed.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Jutro U Splitu by Merlin

Dino Merlin (Edin Dervišhalidović to his mum) founded the band Merlin – this track is from their 1985 debut album Kokuzna Vremena. After the collapse of Yugoslavia, this son of Sarajevo (who was, incidentally, captain of his school football team) was invited to compose the national anthem of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Qatar

Wat Soutak by Fahad Al Kubaisi

Given that he was one of the acts at the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup, Fahad Al Kubaisi’s credentials for inclusion in this playlist are impeccable. The fact that he has a bachelor’s degree in sports science and physical education only makes his case stronger.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Switzerland

Ain’t You by Kleenex

The original Zurich punk rockers, forced to change their name by a humourless gang of facial tissue vendors (they became LiLiPUT), got through band-members at a pace and laid down the noise like their lives depended on it. Kurt Cobain’s list of 50 favourite albums famously included “anything by Kleenex”.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Group C

Brazil

Com Mais De 30 by Claudya

Somehow when a Brazilian recording artist decides to embrace rock, funk and psychedelic soul, as Claudya did with her 1971 album Jesus Cristo, the results groove in a manner that’s so samba-adjacent that it could ONLY come from Brazil. Obviously this is no way a bad thing.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Morocco

Boujeloud (Gimbrisdrums) by The Master Musicians of Joujouka

‘Discovered’ by William S. Burroughs in the 1950s, produced by Brian Jones (basically the final creative act of his life) in the 1960s, championed by the likes of Ornette Coleman, these sons of sons of sons of musicians have constantly evolved and renewed. Burroughs’ description of them as a “4000-year-old rock’n’roll band” seems entirely appropriate.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Haiti

Faces by Val-Inc

Val Jeanty is a Haitian composer and DJ, and a professor at Berklee College of Music. Her intertwining of the African/Haitian ‘vodou’ sonic tradition with electronics and turntablism has led to her work being dubbed ‘afro-electronica’ and ‘vodou-electro’ – because categorisers gonna categorise. This 2007 cut is a great introduction to a fascinating artist.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Scotland

All Reason Departs by Boards of Canada

Back in what passes for ‘the limelight’ after 13 years away, Boards of Canada remain just as effortlessly mysterious and utterly singular as they ever were. If you want to feel nostalgic for places you’ve never been and things you’ve never seen, this will get you there nicely.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Group D

USA

Love Hangover by Diana Ross

She’s not the only person to have missed a penalty at the World Cup, but Diana Ross managed her miss at the 1994 opening ceremony before the tournament was even under way. Still, we shouldn’t be too hard on her – after all, how many penalty-scorers have delivered an impeccable disco barnstormer like this one?

Listen to the track on Tidal

Paraguay

El Último Canto by Berta Rojas

There’s no connection to football here, and no attempt to find one – it’s more than enough to hear an absolute virtuoso of the classical guitar pushing hard at the boundaries of what her instrument is capable of expressing and, by extension, the level of emotion she’s able to communicate.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Australia

Cattle and Cane by The Go-Betweens

If you like your indie guitar-pop on the literate, emotionally ambiguous, elegant and understated side, the songs performed by the Brisbane group led by Grant McLennan and Robert Forster should be on your radar if they’re not already. Not every band gets a toll-bridge in their hometown named in their honour, after all…

Listen to the track on Tidal

Türkiye

Ince Ince Bir Kar Yağar by Selda Bağcan

In the 50-plus years of her career, Selda Bağcan has embraced rock, psychedelia, electronica and plenty more – but has always come directly and fiercely from the Turkish tradition. (In)famously arrested and imprisoned for the hair-raisingly political content of some of her most celebrated music, she’s currently at liberty and touring.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Group E

Germany

Europe Endless by Kraftwerk

There’s a debate to be had about exactly who has been the most influential post-War musician/musicians – but if the debate doesn’t include Kraftwerk then it’s flawed right from the off. Germany has never been short of inventive, exploratory, single-minded bands – but when it comes to casting the longest shadow, don’t look any further than Kraftwerk.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Curaçao

Simadan Kologá by Konkie

Russell ‘Konkie’ Halmeyer has been honing his steelpan technique since his pre-teens. At this point he is considered Curaçao’s most innovative, influential and, consequently, most important pannist, credited with taking the instrument from its traditional carnival and calypso environment into the realms of the wider Caribbean sound and even towards jazz.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Ivory Coast

Proclamation by Douk Saga

Not every musician can credibly claim to have invented an entire genre of music, as Douk Saga did with the coupé-décalé style. Percussion-heavy, drawing liberally from ndombolo and zouglou, and with almost as much emphasis on the look as on the sound, coupé-décalé and its derivatives remains the definitive sound of an Ivorian night out.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Ecuador

Tudo é Ilusão by Nicola Cruz

By pulling melodic inspiration from indigenous Ecuadorian instruments and smoothing out the hectic tempos of his beloved peak-time techno, Nicola Cruz has developed ‘Andes-Step’. It might sound a contrived moniker, sure – because it is – but when you hear Cruz’s combination of dancefloor functionality and nuanced experimentalism it makes perfect sense.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Group F

Netherlands

Love Buzz by Shocking Blue

Leading lights of the late 60s ‘Nederbeat’ movement in the Netherlands, and the band whose song Venus has become a standard, Shocking Blue enjoyed a second lease of life when Nirvana (them again) covered Love Buzz as their debut single and included it (in a slightly different mix) on debut album Bleach.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Japan

Mass Communication Break Down by Shonen Knife

Hectic Osaka three-piece Shonen Knife always wore their hearts and their influences on their sleeves and, while they were always fond of a Beach Boys inflection or two, here they’re channelling their inner Ramones – and to sweatily thrilling effect. If the Japanese team can play at this tempo, they could go deep into the tournament.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Sweden

Down the Line by José González

For a man whose first few bands were eyes-out-on-stalks hardcore punk outfits in the manner of Black Flag or Dead Kennedys, the solo music José González has released treads very softly – yet neither seems to be what you might expect from a man with a master’s degree in molecular biology from the University of Gothenburg.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Tunisia

Amber by Omar El Ouaer

According to some, Omar El Ouaer is the Tunisian Jazz Pianist. Having travelled the circle of graduation from Tunis Institut Supérieur de Musique to lecturing back at the institution, he’s a veteran of numerous global jazz festivals and is also an occasional featured musician with the New York Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Group G

Belgium

Mathilde by Jacques Brel

The undisputed king of modern chanson, Jacques Brel was an enormous influence on a huge number of recording artists. When the list of performers who’ve interpreted your songs includes names as auspicious as David Bowie, Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra and Marlene Dietrich, it’s obvious you were something special.

Listen to the track on Tidal

New Zealand

Shapeshifter by Lorde

Given that she holds passports for both New Zealand and Croatia, Lorde has two dogs in the World Cup 2026 fight – but for my purposes, on the basis that she was born and raised in Auckland, she’s representing the Kiwis here. And in her recently established ‘techy-yet-mystical’ style, what’s more.

Listen to the track on Tidal

Iran

Akhm Nakon by Kourosh Yaghmaei

There’s a definite ‘before’ and ‘after’ in the career of Kourosh Yaghmaei. Before the 1979 revolution, he was ‘the Godfather of Iranian psychedelic rock’, a moustachioed and funky performer whose records sold in big numbers. After the revolution, his work was banned from Iranian radio and homes, and his name was banned from the press.

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Egypt

Gannit Naimi by Umm Kulthum

“Imagine a singer with the virtuosity of Joan Sutherland or Ella Fitzgerald, the public persona of Eleanor Roosevelt, and the audience of Elvis and you have Umm Kulthum, the most accomplished singer of her century in the Arab world” – Virginia Danielson, author of The Voice of Egypt.

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Group H

Spain

Entre dos Aguas by Umm Kulthum

There’s flamenco guitar before Paco de Lucia, and flamenco guitar after – and be in no doubt, ‘after’ is the more colourful, more accessible, groovier, jazzier and altogether more welcoming place to be. To hear Entre dos Aguas is to hear the mastery of a technician for whom the word ‘virtuoso’ is almost too weak.

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Saudi Arabia

Disko Luv by Dish Dash

Brothers Hassan and Abbas Ghazzawi comprise Dish Dash – they are generally considered pioneers of Saudi electronic music and are certainly the first Saudi performers to host public DJ events in the country. Would you be staggered to learn they cite their first visit to Ibiza as being critical to shaping their sound?

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Uruguay

La Cumparsita by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez

Gerardo Matos Rodriguez was a teenager when he composed La Cumparsita (‘the little parade’) in 1916. La Cumparsita is the very definition of the tango and instantly recognisable to anyone with ears to hear, whether they’re familiar with tango music or not. ‘Ubiquitous’ is the word I’m going to use.

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Cape Verde

Destino Negro by Cesária Evora

It was a career of two halves for the barefoot diva. Despite her popularity as a singer in Cape Verde during her late teens, lack of financial recompense led Cesária Evora to quit. Years later, interest from overseas led to the recording of her debut album in 1988 (at the age of 47) and success on several continents.

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