The AshesUpdated Jun 16, 2026
How to Watch the Ashes in Australia: TV & Streaming Guide
How to watch the Ashes and England Test tours of Australia — Seven and 7plus free-to-air vs Foxtel and Kayo (Fox Cricket). The free-to-air-versus-pay question for home Test cricket, under Cricket Australia's 2024-2031 deal.
By Matchcast Editorial · Published
Broadcasters
4
Free options
Yes
Coverage
Global
The short answer
When the Ashes — and England Test tours of Australia generally — are played on Australian soil, they are covered two ways. The free path is Channel Seven on free-to-air TV, with the same coverage streamed free on 7plus. The complete path is Foxtel's Fox Cricket channel, or its Kayo Sports streaming service, which carry every ball of every home international Test. This split sits inside Cricket Australia's long broadcast deal running from 2024 to 2031, so it is a stable arrangement: home Ashes Tests are partly free on Seven and fully covered on Foxtel and Kayo. Australian fans can follow the Ashes free on Seven and 7plus, while those who want guaranteed coverage of every session lean on Foxtel or Kayo.
Seven and 7plus: the free path
Channel Seven is the free-to-air home of home international Test cricket in Australia, named as the FTA carrier in Cricket Australia's own TV guide. When England tour for the Ashes, Seven broadcasts the Tests free-to-air on its main channel, and streams the same coverage free on the 7plus app — so a fan with a TV aerial or just the 7plus app can follow the Ashes for nothing.
Free-to-air Test cricket is a long Australian tradition, and the Seven/7plus path keeps the marquee summer series accessible to everyone. 7plus carries the live broadcast on smart TVs, phones, tablets and browsers, which matters for a format that runs all day across five days a Test — you can pick the cricket up wherever you are without a subscription. For most Australian fans who simply want to watch the Ashes, Seven and 7plus are enough.
Foxtel and Kayo: every session
Foxtel — through its dedicated Fox Cricket channel — carries home international Test cricket in full, and Kayo Sports streams the same coverage without a Foxtel cable box. Both are named in Cricket Australia's official TV guide as the pay-TV and streaming carriers of the Ashes and home Tests, with Fox Cricket's coverage also confirmed by Wisden.
The value of the Foxtel/Kayo path is completeness and the cricket-dedicated presentation: every session, full ball-by-ball coverage, and Fox Cricket's analysis and commentary built around the Test. Kayo is the contract-free streaming route for cord-cutters — watchable on smart TVs, phones, tablets and browsers — while Foxtel suits households wanting it bundled with other channels. Check the Foxtel and Kayo sites for current subscription pricing, which changes between seasons and around the summer of cricket.
Free versus pay for home Test cricket
The honest comparison for a home Ashes series: Seven and 7plus give you the cricket free, and for a fan who wants to watch the Tests that is genuinely sufficient. The reason to pay for Foxtel or Kayo is the dedicated Fox Cricket experience and the certainty of every session in one place, plus the wider summer of cricket — the other formats and series Foxtel carries across the season.
Many Australian cricket fans run the free Seven/7plus path through the Ashes and never pay. Others prefer Kayo for the cricket-first presentation and to have all of the summer's cricket — Tests, the white-ball internationals and the domestic season — in a single streaming subscription. Both paths carry the home Ashes Tests; the choice is between free-and-sufficient and paid-and-complete. Check each provider's site for the current price.
The Ashes schedule and Matchcast
The Ashes is the Test series between Australia and England, contested home and away on a roughly two-year cycle. When the series is in Australia, the Tests are played across the Australian summer — typically from late November into January — at the major grounds (the Gabba in Brisbane, the Adelaide Oval, the MCG in Melbourne, the SCG in Sydney and Perth), with each Test running up to five days.
Matchcast lists each Ashes and home-Test fixture with its Australian broadcaster, so you can see whether a given day's play is on free-to-air Seven and 7plus or on Foxtel and Kayo. Because Seven shows the Tests free and Foxtel/Kayo carry every session, an Australian fan always has a free way to watch the Ashes at home, with the pay path available for complete, cricket-dedicated coverage.
The Ashes Broadcasters
- VisitChannel SevenFreeChannel Seven
Free-to-air carrier of the Ashes and Cricket Australia home international Tests, named in CA's official TV guide. Broadcasts home Ashes Tests free-to-air. Cricket Australia's 2024-2031 broadcast deal.
- Visit7plusFree
Channel Seven's free streaming service — carries the Ashes and home Test cricket free alongside the Seven broadcast, on smart TVs, phones, tablets and browsers. Named in CA's official TV guide. No subscription.
- VisitFoxtelPay TVFox Cricket
Pay-TV via Fox Cricket — full coverage of the Ashes and home international Tests, every session. Named in CA's official TV guide; confirmed by Wisden. Check Foxtel for current pricing.
- VisitKayo SportsStreaming
Foxtel-owned streaming — live-streams every Ashes Test and all home international Test cricket, contract-free on smart TVs, phones, tablets and browsers. Named in CA's official TV guide. Check Kayo for current pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I watch the Ashes for free in Australia?
Yes, when the series is played in Australia. Channel Seven broadcasts home Ashes Tests free-to-air, and streams the same coverage free on the 7plus app — named as the free-to-air carrier in Cricket Australia's official TV guide. So an Australian fan with a TV aerial or just the 7plus app can follow a home Ashes series for nothing.
How do I watch every session of the Ashes in Australia?
Through Foxtel's Fox Cricket channel or its Kayo Sports streaming service, which carry home international Tests in full — every session, ball by ball. Both are named in Cricket Australia's official TV guide as the pay-TV and streaming carriers, with Fox Cricket confirmed by Wisden. Kayo is the contract-free streaming route. Check each provider's site for current pricing.
Is the Ashes on free-to-air or pay TV in Australia?
Both. Home international Test cricket — including the Ashes when played in Australia — is split between free-to-air Channel Seven (and free streaming on 7plus) and pay-TV Foxtel (Fox Cricket) plus its Kayo streaming service. This sits inside Cricket Australia's 2024-2031 broadcast deal, a stable arrangement. Seven gives you the Tests free; Foxtel and Kayo give you every session.
What is the difference between Foxtel and Kayo for the cricket?
Both carry the same Fox Cricket coverage of home Tests, because Kayo is Foxtel's own streaming service. Foxtel is the traditional cable/satellite product, suited to households wanting it bundled with other channels; Kayo is the contract-free streaming version for cord-cutters, watchable on smart TVs, phones and browsers. Either gives you every session of the Ashes; check each provider's site for current pricing.
When is the Ashes played in Australia?
The Ashes is contested between Australia and England on a roughly two-year home-and-away cycle. When the series is in Australia, the Tests are played across the Australian summer — typically late November into January — at grounds including the Gabba, Adelaide Oval, the MCG, the SCG and Perth, with each Test running up to five days. Matchcast lists each fixture with its Australian broadcaster.