Adelaide's 3rd Ashes Test is do or die for an England side that so far has been a distant second in its hunt to reclaim the urn. To see what the next chapter holds for this series, follow our guide on how to watch The Ashes from anywhere in the world.
So far, Bazball's adventure Down Under has been a shocking failure. If the 1st Test was a wild game that could have gone either way, their visit to the 'Gabbatoir' laid bare a lack of preparation and application. Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum will have to lift the troops as they head to the Adelaide Oval, with the likes of Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, and Jamie Smith all needing to step up on the biggest stage in cricket.
One win away from retaining the Ashes for the fifth series running, the Australian camp will be in buoyant mood after their most recent mauling of the tourists. The positivity will only be bolstered by the likely return of talismanic captain Pat Cummins, which will give them a chance to rest others in their seam attack that have so far shown England how it's done. The perennial conversations about who will open and whether Usman Khawaja still has a part to play for his team have dominated discussions in the lead-up.
After two years of anticipation and speculation, Australia has the opportunity to seal Ashes victory and, considering the team hasn't lost a Test at the Oval since 2018, you wouldn't bet against it. Keep reading as we explain all the options you have to watch Australia vs. England if you're Down Under, in England, or in the US. Plus, there's information on where you can find free Ashes streams, and how to watch the live action if you're overseas this week.
How to watch The Ashes for free in Australia
It's great news if you're in Australia during the 2025/26 Ashes, because every ball is being shown live by the free-to-air Channel 7. That means you also have the option to watch online thanks to the network's 7Plus streaming platform. All you need to do is register an account with a few basic details, and then you can watch for free on an array of devices, including your laptop, smartphone, tablet, Amazon Fire Stick, Chromecast, games console, select Smart TVs, and more. The action will also go out on Fox Sports and the Kayo streaming service.
How to watch The Ashes from anywhere
It's brilliant that 7Plus is showing The Ashes for free. However, if you're away from Australia while the Tests are being played and you try to tune in, you'll soon discover that its stream is blocked. In order to get around this frustrating situation, it's possible to use a VPN (virtual private network) to spoof your IP address and make your chosen streaming device think it's in Australia. This will let you watch Ashes streams as if you were back home. VPNs are especially popular apps for those looking to upgrade their cybersecurity or access their usual websites while traveling abroad.
NordVPN is our top-rated VPN right now. Its connection speeds are faster than a Mark Wood bouncer and as reliable as a Steve Smith forward defensive! It's really easy to use, too, and has a superb reputation for unblocking sites that are subject to geographical restrictions. Our NordVPN review explains more, and you can give the service a try risk-free thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.
How to watch The Ashes in the US
Willow has been the go-to streaming service for cricket fans in the US for some time now, and that's no different for The Ashes 2025/26. Willow is made available by some cable providers and as a standalone streaming platform for $10 a month or $80 a year.
Alternatively, you can watch Australia vs. England and all the cricket carried by Willow thanks to Sling TV. Willow is one of the channels that make up its Dakshin Flex and Desi Binge Plus packages, both of which cost $10 a month and can be canceled at any time. You can also find Willow among the channel lists of DirecTV MySports (with the MySports Extra add-on) and Fubo Pro, both of which have five-day free trials.
How to watch The Ashes in the UK
TNT Sports has pipped Sky Sports to the rights for this winter's five-Test Ashes series in Australia. You can subscribe to TNT Sports through TV packages from Sky TV, Virgin Media, and EE. If you don't have any of those, you can also sign up for a Discovery Plus with TNT Sports subscription, which costs $31 a month and can be canceled at any time.
Ashes 2025/26 schedule, dates, and venues
- 1st Test — November 21-25 (Optus Stadium, Perth)
- 2nd Test — December 4-8 (Gabba, Brisbane)
- 3rd Test — December 17-21 (Adelaide Oval, Adelaide)
- 4th Test — December 26-30 (MCG, Melbourne)
- 5th Test — January 4-8 (SCG, Sydney)
Who won the last Ashes series?
The last Ashes series between England vs. Australia was tied 2-2. It took place in England in 2023 and was thought of by many fans and pundits as one of the most entertaining Ashes encounters in the last 20 years. Australia took a 2-0 lead with wins at Edgbaston and Lord's, before England came storming back with victories at Headingley and The Oval. Because Australia had won the previous Ashes series in 2021/22, they retained the Ashes urn.
Why is it called The Ashes?
When Australia beat England in the UK for the first time in 1882, a newspaper printed a mock obituary mourning the death of English cricket. The next time the teams met, a small urn was presented to the winning side. It is fabled (although unverified) that the ashes of a cremated cricket stump are contained in the urn.
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