Melbourne Cup 2026: How to Watch the AU$10 Million Race for Free and via Paid Streams Globally - Hardware, PCs and semiconductors

The 166th running of the Melbourne Cup takes place on November 3, 2026, at Flemington Racecourse with a prize pool of AU$10 million. Viewers in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US, and the UK can access live coverage through various free-to-air channels and streaming platforms, while international travelers are advised to use VPN services to bypass geo-restrictions.

The 166th edition of the Melbourne Cup is set to take place on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria. The prestigious two-mile flat handicap race features a prize of AU$10 million (approximately $7 million USD) for the winner. A total of 24 runners and riders are scheduled to compete, with Australian trainer Ciaron Maher entering seven horses, including favorites Point Of Law and Mr Monaco. Irish trainer Joseph O'Brien has also entered five horses, such as Trustyourinstinct and James J Braddock, aiming for his third victory at Flemington despite the late withdrawal of Defiantly.

Jockey Jamie Melham will ride Future History in an attempt to become the first female jockey to win the race twice, following her previous success on Half Yours. Other contenders expected to be in contention include Sons And Lovers, Kizlyar, and last year's runner-up Goodie Two Shoes. The race is scheduled to start at 3:00 PM AEDT, which corresponds to 4:00 AM GMT in the UK and 11:00 PM ET on Monday, November 2, for viewers in the United States.

In Australia, the event will be broadcast free-to-air on Channel 9 and available via the 9Now streaming service. Additional coverage is provided by the Racing.com website and Sky Racing. New Zealand audiences can watch for free on TVNZ 1 or stream online through the TVNZ+ platform. Similarly, Canadian viewers have access to free coverage via CBC Sports on television and the CBC Gem streaming platform.

For fans in the United States, the race is available on FS2 and Fox One. Fox One offers a three-day free trial before charging $19.99 per month, while FS2 can be accessed through various OTT platforms like YouTube TV and Fubo, both of which offer free trials for new customers. Sling TV also provides access to Fox One through its Select ($29.99/month) and Blue ($45.99/month) plans.

In the United Kingdom, coverage is available on Sky Sports Racing. Subscribers can access this through a Sky Sports plan starting at £35 per month, or £22 for existing Sky television subscribers. A more affordable option is the At The Races Player, which offers access to the Sky Sports Racing channel for £9.99 per month.

Viewers traveling outside their home countries may encounter geo-blocks preventing access to these regional streams. To bypass these restrictions, the source recommends using a VPN service like NordVPN, which can make a device appear as if it is located in the viewer's home country. This allows users to unlock free streams from services such as 9Now, TVNZ+, and CBC Gem while abroad.

Sources: TechRadar.