But fear not! We’ll show you how to watch all the best matches live and online — even if you’re outside Australia or the UK! All you need is a good VPN and one of two networks to watch online.

3 steps to watching the Ashes on Channel 9 for free (Australia)

Channel 9 (also known as 9Now) will be live-streaming all 5 Tests for free to fans in Australia. With a VPN, you can get an Australian IP address and enjoy all the exciting action. Watch The Ashes Now!

3 steps to watching the Ashes on Sky Sports (UK)

If you don’t have a subscription to Sky Sports you can sign up for a Sky Sports Pass through NowTV. They offer daily, weekly, and monthly packages to suit your needs. Watch The Ashes Now!

Why you need a VPN to watch the Ashes

Most online content providers (think sports channels like Sky Sports, or movie platforms like Netflix) have entertainment licensing and other restrictions that prevent them from sharing local content with people from other countries. These providers can determine where you’re from by tracking your location via your IP address and restrict your access to content accordingly.

9Now geo-location error message That’s where VPNs come in to save the day. A good VPN helps you access local content from anywhere in the world. By establishing a secure connection through the company’s servers and choosing a server in the country where you want local content access, you’ll be able to make the network think you live in their home country. In other words, unless you use a VPN, Channel9 will give anyone outside of Australia a location-restricted error message, saying, “Sorry, 9Now is only available in Australia.”

Top 2 VPNs for watching the Ashes

1. ExpressVPN – Stream without buffering or lagging

Tested and proven to work with both Channel 9 and Sky Sports Multiple servers to choose from in AU and UK Set up time is less than 5 minutes Unlimited bandwidth and speed 30-day money-back guarantee

Watch The Ashes Now!

2.CyberGhost – Works well with Sky Sports

Easy setup experience and user-friendly interface Has four dedicated streaming servers in the UK Unlimited data usage for streaming 45-day money-back guarantee

Watch The Ashes Now!

Can I use free VPNs to watch the Ashes?

While we don’t recommend you to use a free VPN for streaming live video content, there are certainly some safe and free VPNs on the market for other online uses. However, if you want reliable streaming and download speeds that provide top-quality sound and video, the nominal price of a subscription-based VPN is more than worth it. You certainly won’t want to risk missing out on any prime Ashes action because of slow buffering or loading times from a free VPN. Better safe than sorry!

The 2019 Ashes Schedule

Not sure when to tune in for the fun? Take a look at the 2019 Ashes schedule below. Note that all games will start at 1pm. 2nd Test | August 12 – 18 – England vs Australia  – Lord’s, London 3rd Test | August 22 – 26 – England vs Australia – Headingley, Leeds 4th Test | September 4 – 8 – Englad vs Australia – Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester 5th Test | September 12 – 16 – England vs Australia – Kennington Oval, London