How to watch The Open 2026: Free live streams, TV channels and preview – 1st round

How to watch The Open 2026: Free live streams, TV channels and preview – 1st round

American Scottie Scheffler lifts the Claret Jug on the 18th green following his victory during day four of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland.
(Image credit: Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
  • The Open 2026: from Thursday July 16 to Sunday July 19 | 1:35 a.m. ET / 6:35 a.m. BST
  • Stream on Peacock / NBC and USA Network via Sling TV (WE)
  • Free Trials in the United States: YouTube TV (10 days) / DirecTV (5 days)
  • Unblock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)

Watch the Open 2026 live, as the oldest golf tournament in the world returns for its 154th edition, on the courses of Royal Birkdale. Scottie Scheffler will defend his crown won 12 months ago, while Rory McIlroy and local favorite Tommy Fleetwood – born just minutes away in neighboring Southport – are also among the leading contenders for golf’s original major.

After winning by four strokes at Royal Portrush in 2025, Scheffler is attempting to become the first Open champion to successfully defend his crown since Padraig Harrington in 2008-09. Still, the world number one will be feeling uneasy about missing his first cut in 78 tournaments after coming up short at the weekend at the Scottish Open a week ago. He will face world number three Matt Fitzpatrick and 2024 champion Xander Schauffele.

Fleetwood is looking to become England’s first Claret Jug winner since Nick Faldo in 1992. He is part of an outstanding group with 2021 champion Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth, who won the last time the tournament was held at Royal Birkdale in 2017. Other home hopes include Aaron Rai, the reigning PGA champion, and Justin Rose who exploded as an amateur here in 1998.

Rory McIlroy will also want to take his chances. The two-time reigning Masters champion finished strongly at the Scottish Open last weekend, with a final round of 64.

Featuring a magnificent art deco clubhouse, the course is great and conditions are expected to be hot, which will bring its own challenge of controlling the ball on a seaside links course.

Read on for our guide to where to watch The Open 2026 online, on TV and potentially free wherever you are. Scroll down for round one start times.

Can you watch The Open 2026 for free?

Open coverage is mostly locked behind a paywall, but there are several ways to watch free Royal Birkdale live streams.

The Open app (available via the Apple Store and Google Play) will show coverage of featured bands across all four days.

This will only focus on these three or four particular groups, so for more exhaustive coverage you’ll have to look elsewhere. In the United States, there are free trials that will allow you to log in for free..

The tournament is broadcast on NBC and USA Network, both broadcast by YouTube TV (10-day free trial), DirecTV Stream (5-day free trial) And Hulu+Live TV (3-day free trial).

Alternatively, you can live stream The Open 2026 on Peacock for almost nothing by taking advantage of Walmart Plus 30 Day Trial for $1.

In Australia, Kayo Sports has a 7-day free trial to watch the tournament.

Are you traveling abroad at the moment? You can use a VPN to watch the Open Championship 2026 for free as if you were at home.

Use a VPN to Watch Open 2026 Live Streams

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear to be in your home country, so you can unblock your usual service. The best VPN at the moment? We recommend NordVPN – it does it all and offers up to 75% off.

How to watch live streams of the 2026 US Open

Coverage of the 2026 Open is shared between NBC, USA Network and Peacock in the United States. All NBC coverage is simulcast on Peacock.

Rounds 1 and 2 broadcast on NBC Sports Network/Peacock from 1:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. and on USA Network from 4 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Round 3 airs in the United States from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. and on NBC/Peacock from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Round 4 airs in the United States from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. and on NBC/Peacock from 7 a.m. to arrival. All times ET.

THE Peacock Pricing starts at $10.99/month or $109.99/year for a plan offering live sports. However, you can access Peacock virtually free with a Walmart Plus 30 Day Trial for $1.

NBC and USA Network, meanwhile, are available through Sling – particularly the Blue plan, which starts at $45.99/month. It includes NBC, ABC and Fox in select locations, as well as FS1, USA Network, FX and more.

Alternatively, both channels are also broadcast by YouTube TV And Hulu + Live TVeach of which offers a free trial to new users.

If you are traveling outside the United States, you can use NordVPN to capture the action.

How to watch UK Open 2026 live streams

(Image credit: Future)

In the United Kingdom, the Open Championship 2026 is broadcast on Aerial sportsvia the Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Golf channels.

Sky Sports packages start from £35/month, or £20 if you’re already a Sky subscriber. You can also purchase a Now Sports subscription from £14.99/day or £34.99/month.

Outside the UK at the moment? To use NordVPN to access your favorite coverage of The Open Championship.

How to watch live streams of the 2026 Australian Open

(Image credit: free)

In Australia, the 2026 Open is televised on Fox Sports via Foxtel, with a live stream 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.

If you are currently outside Australia but want to watch your usual coverage of the Open, you will need to get a VPNaccording to the instructions above.

How to watch live streams of the 2026 Open in Canada

(Image credit: Other)

In Canada, The Open 2026 is exclusive to TSN.

If you do not have cable, the TSN Plus the streaming service costs CA$29.99/month or CA$249.99/year. However, you can currently get three months for CA$59.99.

If you’re outside of Canada but still want to connect, explore the VPN route shown above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

Open 2026 FAQ

What are the start times for the first round?

(All times BST, -5 hours from ET)

6:35 a.m. Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry, James Nicholas

6:46 a.m. Michael Kim, David Hillier, Andy Sullivan

6:57 a.m. Ryan Fox, Andrew Novak, Matthew Jordan

7:08 a.m. Henrik Stenson, Max Homa, Joe Dean

7:19 a.m. Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick

7:30 a.m. David Duval, Martin Couvrera, Matthew Southgate

7:41 a.m. Sungjae Im, Daniel Brown, Fifa Laopakdee*

7:52 a.m. Gary Woodland, Jake Knapp, Jordan Smith

8:03 a.m. Francesco Molinari, Tom McKibbin, Lev Grinberg*

8:14 a.m. Hennie du Plessis, José Luis Ballester, Dan Bradbury

8:25 a.m. Angel Ayora, Victor Pérez, Mateo Pulcini*

8:36 a.m. Stewart Cink, Scott Vincent, Joakim Lagergren

8:47 a.m. Michael Thorbjornsen, Kota Kaneko, Travis Smyth

9:03 a.m. Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune

9:14 a.m. Akshay Bhatia, Harris English, Rasmus Hojgaard

9:25 a.m. Ben Griffin, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee

9:36 a.m. Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland

9:47 a.m. Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day

9:58 a.m. Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau

10:09 a.m. Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm

10:20 a.m. Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor

10:31 a.m. Ryan Gerard, Maverick McNealy, David Puig

10:42 a.m. Kazuma Kobori, Tom Sloman, David Howard*

10:53 a.m. Antoine Rozner, Ren Yonezawa, Caleb Surratt

11:04 a.m. MJ Daffue, Frédéric Lacroix, Jack McDonald

11:15 a.m. Ham Jeongwoo, Ryutaro Nagamo, Alejandro De Castro Piera*

11:41 a.m. John Parry, Eric Cole, Tiger Christensen

11:52 a.m. Eugenio Chacarra, Matt Wallace, Max Greyserman

12:03 Michael Brennan, Sahith Theegala, Laurie Canter

12:14 p.m. Cameron Smith, Keith Mitchell, Stuart Grehan*

12:25 p.m. Sepp Straka, Joaquin Niemann, Kurt Kitayama

12:36 p.m. Sami Valimaki, Shaun Norris, Jackson Suber

12:47 p.m. Darren Clarke, Adrien Saddier, Bernd Wiesberger

12:58 p.m. Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, Casey Jarvis

1:09 p.m. Matt McCarty, Harry Hall, Haotong Li

1:20 p.m. Padraig Harrington, Marco Penge, Michael Hollick

1:31 p.m. Tom Kim, Billy Horschel, Mason Howell*

1:42 p.m. Johnny Keefer, Pierceson Coody, Keita Nakajima

1:53 p.m. Louis Oosthuizen, Jesper Svensson, Jack Buchanan

2:09 p.m. Bud Cauley, Jayden Schaper, Lucas Herbert

2:20 p.m. Kristoffer Reitan, Patrick Reed, JT Poston

2:31 p.m. Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott

2:42 p.m. Collin Morikawa, JJ Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard

2:53 p.m. Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka

3:04 p.m. Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Aberg

3:15 p.m. Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick

3:26 p.m. Jacob Bridgeman, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Tim Wiedmeyer*

3:37 p.m. Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echevarria

3:48 p.m. Peter Uihlein, Alistair Docherty, Francesco Laporta

3:59 p.m. Cameron John, Austen Truslow, Sam Bairstow

4:10 p.m. Naoyuki Kataoka, Marcus Plunkett, Baard Bjoernevik

4:21 p.m. Kazuki Higa, Jiho Yang, Nevill Ruiter*

Round 2:

6:35 a.m. John Parry, Eric Cole, Tiger Christensen

6:46 a.m. Eugenio Chacarra, Matt Wallace, Max Greyserman

6:57 a.m.. Michael Brennan, Sahith Theegala, Laurie Canter

7:08 a.m.. Cameron Smith, Keith Mitchell, Stuart Grehan

7:19 a.m. Sepp Straka, Joaquin Niemann, Kurt Kitayama

7:30 a.m. Sami Valimaki, Shaun Norris, Jackson Suber

7:41 a.m. Darren Clarke, Adrien Saddier, Bernd Wiesberger

7:52 a.m. Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, Casey Jarvis

8:03 a.m.. Matt McCarty, Harry Hall, Haotong Li

8:14 a.m. Padraig Harrington, Marco Penge, Michael Hollick

8:25 a.m. Tom Kim, Billy Horschel, Mason Howell

8:36 a.m. Johnny Keefer, Pierceson Coody, Keita Nakajima

8:47 a.m. Louis Oosthuizen, Jesper Svensson, Jack Buchanan

9:03 a.m. Bud Cauley, Jayden Schaper, Lucas Herbert

9:14 a.m. Kristoffer Reitan, Patrick Reed, JT Poston

​​9:25 a.m. Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott

9:36 a.m. Collin Morikawa, JJ Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard

9:47 a.m. Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka

9:58 a.m. Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Aberg

10:09 a.m. Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatric k

10:20 a.m. Jacob Bridgeman, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Tim Wiedemeyer,

10:31 a.m. Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria

10:42 a.m. Peter Uihlein, Alistair Docherty, Francesco Laporta

10:53 a.m. Cameron John, Austen Truslow, Sam Bairstow

11:04 a.m. Naoyuki Kataoka, Marcus Plunkett, Baard Bjoernevik Skogen

11:15 a.m. Kazuki Higa, Jiho Yang, Nevill Ruiter

11:41 a.m. Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry, James Nicholas

11:52 a.m. Michael Kim, Daniel Hillier, Andy Sullivan

12:03 Ryan Fox, Andrew Novak, Matthew Jordan

12:14 p.m. Henrik Stenson, Max Homa, Joe Dean

12:25 p.m.. Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick

12:36 p.m. David Duval, Martin Couvrera, Matthew Southgate

12:47 p.m.. Sungjae Im, Daniel Brown, Fifa Laopakdee

12:58 p.m. Gary Woodland, Jake Knapp, Jordan Smith

1:09 p.m. Francesco Molinari, Tom McKibbin, Lev Grinberg

1:20 p.m. Hennie du Plessis, José Luis Ballester Barrio, Dan Bradbury

1:31 p.m.. Angel Ayora, Victor Pérez, Mateo Pulcini

1:42 p.m. Stewart Cink, Scott Vincent, Joakim Lagergren

1:53 p.m. Michael Thorbjornsen, Kota Kaneko, Travis Smyth

2:09 p.m.. Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune

2:20 p.m.. Akshay Bhatia, Harris English, Rasmus Hojgaard

2:31 p.m. Ben Griffin, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee

2:42 p.m.. Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland

2:53 p.m. Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day

3:04 p.m.. Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau

3:15 p.m. Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm

3:26 p.m. Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor

3:37 p.m. Ryan Gerard, Maverick McNealy, David Puig

3:48 p.m.. Kazuma Kobori, Tom Sloman, David Howard

3:59 p.m. Antoine Rozner. Ren Yonezawa, Caleb Surratt

4:10 p.m. MJ Daffue, Frédéric Lacroix, Jack McDonald

4:21 p.m.. Ham Jeongwoo, Ryutaro Nagano, Alejandro De Castro Piera

Who are the recent Open winners?

2025 -Scottie Scheffler
2024 –Alex Schauffele
2023 –Brian Harman
2022 -Cameron Smith
2021 – Collin Morikawa
2020 – N / A
2019 –Shane Lowry
2018 –Francesco Molinari
2017 -Jordan Spieth
2016 –Henrik Stenson

Can I follow The Open 2026 on my mobile?

Of course! Each of the major broadcasters offers streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or through your phone’s browser.

And, as we mentioned above, you can watch featured group action at the tournament on The Open app (available via the Apple Store and Google Play).

You can also stay up to date with all the highlights on the PGA’s official social media channels on YouTube (@PGATour), Instagram (@PGATour), TikTok (@PGATour) and Facebook (@PGATour).

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Access a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protect your online security and strengthen your online privacy abroad. We do not support or condone illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consumption of paid pirated content is not endorsed or endorsed by Future Publishing.

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Andy Murray is an award-winning writer and columnist, voted Consumer Journalist of the Year at the 2015 PPA New Talent Awards. A fluent Spanish speaker and former semi-professional footballer, he was the senior editor of the world-renowned football magazine. FourFourTwo from 2012 to 2019 and continues to write and edit for them, national newspapers, websites, the Olympic Games and Premier League clubs.

Passionate about music since an existential introduction to The turns by Radiohead at the age of 10, he has been a Glastonbury regular for decades and is always up to date with the latest technology. For the past three years, he’s been testing products, sub-editing reviews, and digging into the details of VPNs for TechRadar.

He’s not a famous tennis player.

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