How to watch the Melbourne Cup 2026: TV channels, live streams, and start times

The 2026 Melbourne Cup takes place on Tuesday, 3 November at 3:00 pm AEDT at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. If you’re wondering how to watch the Melbourne Cup, Australian viewers can see it live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now, while overseas coverage depends on where you are.

Below, you’ll find the confirmed TV channels and Melbourne Cup live stream options for Australia, the US, the UK, and Canada, plus local start times and ways to watch online or on mobile.

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How to watch the Melbourne Cup in Australia

Watching from Australia is straightforward: Channel 9 and 9Now are the official free-to-air homes of the Melbourne Cup Carnival through 2029. Coverage is available across TV, streaming, mobile, and digital platforms.

That means Australian viewers can watch the Melbourne Cup live on:

• Channel 9: Live, free-to-air TV coverage
• 9Now: Free live streaming through the website or app
• Inside Run: The official VRC app offers live streaming, instant replays, and race day news
• Racing.com: Melbourne Cup Week coverage on Channel 78 in metropolitan areas, Channel 68 regionally, and online
• Sky Racing: Listen live via its service platform
• RSN: Listen live on 927AM

The Melbourne Cup 2026 start time is 3:00 pm AEDT, but don’t switch on at 2:59 pm. Cup Day coverage normally runs for much of the day, with racing and pre-race analysis well before the main event. Check the exact 2026 Channel 9 broadcast start time as you get closer to 3 November.

How to watch the Melbourne Cup in the US, the UK, and Canada

International rights for the Melbourne Cup are distributed by market, so which channel the Melbourne Cup is on differs between countries and can change from one year to the next.

Here are the viewing options confirmed so far for 2026:

In the UK, Sky Sports Racing specifically lists the 2026 Melbourne Cup Carnival among its international racing coverage. A subscription is required, and pricing varies.

Canadian viewers have a particularly simple option in 2026. It’s confirmed that the Melbourne Cup will stream on CBC Gem and the CBC Sports YouTube channel in Canada.

For viewers elsewhere, the Victoria Racing Club also offers an official international live stream, currently listed as available outside Australia. That can provide another way to watch the Melbourne Cup online.

For the US, the 2026 broadcaster has not yet been officially confirmed as of September 2026. Previous editions have appeared through major US sports broadcasters, such as Fox Sports, but rights can change, so check the VRC broadcast guide closer to race day rather than relying on a previous year’s service.

What time is the Melbourne Cup? Start times by time zone

The Melbourne Cup 2026 start time is 3:00 pm AEDT on Tuesday, 3 November. Because Melbourne is on daylight saving time while North America has already returned to standard time by early November, viewers in the US and Canada will watch the race on the evening of Monday, 2 November.

Here are the main local start times:

The main race itself lasts only a few minutes, so it is worth joining the broadcast early. Broadcasters usually include the horses entering the mounting yard, final betting information, and pre-race coverage before the field jumps.

How to watch the Melbourne Cup online and on mobile

You don’t need to be sitting in front of a television to follow the race. Several official platforms let you watch the Melbourne Cup online from a phone, tablet, or laptop.

In Australia, 9Now is the easiest free Melbourne Cup live stream. You can access it through a web browser or the 9Now mobile app. Racing.com also streams live racing through its website and app, and its coverage now includes Melbourne Cup Week under the 2026–2029 rights agreement.

Overseas viewers can use the appropriate service for their market. That means CBC Gem or CBC Sports YouTube in Canada, Sky Sports Racing in the UK, and the VRC’s international stream in eligible countries.

Streaming is particularly useful if you’re watching from work, attending a Cup Day gathering, or traveling in Australia. Just make sure you have a stable internet connection before the race begins.

International visitors can also set up an eSIM for Australia before the trip so they have internet in Australia ready for streaming, messaging, and race-day plans without relying entirely on public Wi-Fi.

If you’re traveling internationally, keep in mind that streaming services often use geographic restrictions. And if you plan to use your home mobile plan while visiting, check the cost of roaming in Australia before departure, especially if you expect to stream video or use mobile data throughout Cup Week.

Where to watch the Melbourne Cup in person in Australia: Pubs, bars, and public screenings

You don’t need a Flemington ticket to experience the Melbourne Cup with a crowd. Pubs, sports bars, hotels, and other venues across Australia commonly show the race live, with Melbourne offering especially extensive Cup Day events.

If you’re traveling to the city for the race, there are also plenty of things to do in Melbourne before or after Cup Day, from laneway dining and galleries to day trips from Melbourne.

If you mainly want to watch the Melbourne Cup rather than book a full hospitality package, look for:

• Sports bars and pubs advertising the race as live and loud
• Local hotels and RSL clubs with race-day screens
• Venues with TAB facilities if you also want access to betting services
• Restaurants and hotels offering Cup Day lunches with live race coverage, including some of Melbourne’s fine dining venues for a more formal race-day experience
• Casinos and major entertainment venues showing live racing
• Free public screens or fan events announced closer to Cup Day

Many pubs are free to enter, although reserved tables, food packages, and dedicated Cup Day events may require bookings.

Public screenings are less predictable and can change each year, so check each city council’s events calendar and local venue roundups in October 2026 rather than assuming a previous year’s big-screen event will return.

Stay connected for the Melbourne Cup with Holafly

Streaming the race on public Wi-Fi can mean buffering at the worst possible moment, and switching on your home plan risks a nasty roaming bill by the end of Cup Week. An eSIM for Australia is a simpler way to stay online: install it before you fly, and it activates the moment you land, with unlimited data and speeds up to 5G to stream 9Now, message friends, and follow race-day updates. There’s no physical SIM to swap and no roaming charges to worry about, plus 24/7 customer support if you ever need a hand.

And you won’t have to reinstall anything the next time you travel. Keep your Holafly eSIM in your phone and Always On: 1 GB of monthly backup data refreshes every month, so you’re covered at no extra cost if your main plan runs out mid-trip or you land before you’ve sorted a new one.

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