Viewers across the UK and Ireland will be able to watch every match of the 2026 Australian Open on TNT Sports for the first time. They’ll also be more free-to-air highlights on TV, this year on Quest.
First Australian Open to air on TNT Sports
Discovery+ exclusive streaming home
John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Mats Wilander, Tim Henman, Laura Robson among on-site team bringing coverage.
With up to 274 live hours of coverage, the Australian Open comes to TNT Sports for the first time in the UK and Ireland. Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) holds exclusive TV rights to the tournament across Europe.
Coverage begins with the main draw on Sunday 18 January. The finals take place on the weekend of Saturday 31 January and Sunday 1 February.
Ahead of the main coverage, Discovery+ will carry the qualifiers all this week (week commencing 12 January). The streaming service will be the single streaming home of the Australian Open for one final time. From March, HBO Max will become the home of TNT Sports.
How WBD will cover the Australian Open
Live coverage will be supported by an all-star line-up including John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Mats Wilander, Tim Henman, Laura Robson, Barbara Schett and Anne Keothavong, with CoCo Vandeweghe joining for the women’s singles semi-finals and finals. Laura Robson will lead TNT Sports’ daily shows and Rachel Stringer will present Eurosport’s coverage (Eurosport continues to broadcast in continental Europe).
The Courtside show will begin 30-minutes ahead of the first night session each day from 08:30 CET/07:30 GMT; additionally also ahead of the second night session. Finally, a 30-minute show will follow the conclusion of play. From the quarter-final stage, each singles match will also receive a pre and post-match show.
How to access Australian Open coverage if you’re not a TNT Sports subscriber
Some tennis fans may be frustrated by the extra cost of TNT Sports, especially as Australian Open coverage was previously included in the cheaper Eurosport package. Most other major tournaments in the UK are available on Sky Sports Tennis or, in Wimbledon’s case, free‑to‑air TV.
It’s still possible to access the Australian Open without a long‑term commitment. Viewers can take out a one‑month subscription to Discovery+, which offers a package including TNT Sports.
The Discovery+ plan with TNT Sports costs £30.99 per month and can be cancelled before the end of the billing period to avoid renewal. Sky customers who already have Discovery+ included with their package will need to upgrade to the TNT Sports tier, as the standard version does not include live sport.
Freeview Australian Open highlights upgrade
This year, WBD will be making more highlights free-to-air in the UK.
Last year, WBD only carried highlights of the finals live on free-to-air TV. Back then, DMAX took the coverage, hidden away in the depths of most TV channel lists.
For 2026, highlights from the Australian Open move to Quest, where you’ll be able to watch an hour-long programme every night at 11pm.
Quest moves to Freeview channel 17 this week. You may need to retune your Freeview TV.
YouTube highlights
YouTube channels from TNT Sports and Eurosport will serve up free daily highlights in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch.
Scott Young, Executive Vice President at WBD Sports Europe, said:
“The Australian Open is one of the early hallmark events in our incredible year of sport on our channels and platforms. Our unique proposition will deliver every match to viewers live, leading into the return of the Olympic Winter Games to Europe with our coverage of every event from Milano Cortina 2026 next month. From the sunny grounds of Melbourne Park to the snowy peaks of the Dolomites, we will get to the heart of every story from the widest variety of events this year, giving our viewers access to the most immersive and entertaining live sport offer anywhere.
And with HBO Max coming to new markets including Italy and Germany ahead of the Australian Open, and with the UK to follow later this year, we are excited to launch the new streaming home of our viewers’ favourite sports as part of the greatest sport and entertainment content library.”
By: Marc Thornham | Image: WBD