Over a century-long rivalry between England and Australia resumes this year with the first test being played at The Gabba in Brisbane. The Australians have won The Ashes at home for more than a decade now, and they're strong favorites to win it again after beating England by 9 wickets in the first test. But, that's just one more reason for England to take the trophy back to England this year.
Unfortunately, not many channels are streaming The Ashes live, and you might not be able to watch it live from many places outside of the UK and Australia – unless you use a VPN.
How to watch the Ashes
Depending on where you live, you may not be able to stream the Ashes. Searching for alternative methods to watch The Ashes can be very time-consuming and expensive. Luckily, nowadays, there are so many excellent VPNs that are perfectly capable of unblocking even the most exclusive content, including The Ashes, from any part of the world and at an affordable price.
So, here's how you can watch one of the worlds most popular cricket tournament in only five simple steps:
- Choose a VPN that unblocks leading sports channels for streaming The Ashes (preferably BT Sport in the UK and or Australia's Channel 7). We have listed some great options below.
- Download and install the software on your device we recommend ExpressVPN.
- Connect to a VPN server in the UK or Australia.
- Go to your chosen sports channel for streaming The Ashes (you may need to create an account).
- Start streaming the Ashes.
Where to watch the Ashes
The series will start on December 8 and will run until January 18. A lot of tension has been building up in the previous two seasons, and most of us can't wait to see the outcome. To help you in your search for broadcast channels for this year, we've created this list of TV and live streaming channels to watch The Ashes.
| Service | Country | Price | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| BT Sports | United Kingdom | $25 (GBP) | BT Sport are the main broadcaster in the UK and will be streaming every Ashes test during in December and January. They also have catch shows, so you can watch the highlights of each test if it is on during the night. You can get a monthly pass for this service with no contract. |
| BBC | United Kingdom | £0 (GBP) | The BBC has got the rights to show highlights of all the matches in this series which will be available to stream on their catchup service BBC iPlayer. |
| Channel7 | Australia | $0 (AUS) | Channel 7 is one of Australia's main broadcaster for the Ashes series. The series will be free to air on Channel 7, however, live matches won't be available online. |
| Kayo Sports | Australia | $25 (AUS) | Kayo sports have the broadcasting rights to stream The Ashes live online in Australia. |
| Foxtel | Australia | $61 (AUS) | Along with Kayo Sports, Foxtel will be streaming every Ashes match live on their streaming platform. You do need to have a TV box in order to sign up for this service though. |
| SkyN | New Zealand | $25.99 (NZ) | You can stream all of the tests on Sky New Zealand. They offer a 7-day free trial with no skybox needed. |
| SonyLIV | India | Rs 699 (INDIA) | Sony TV and SonyLIV have the rights in India to stream all of the action from The Ashes. Coverage will be in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, and Tamil |
| Willow TV | United States | $9.99 (USD) | Users must be subscribed to one of the following services to gain access to it - SlingTV, Dish, Fios, Spectrum, Google Fibre, Xfinity, Optimum, or CenturyLink. |
| ATN | Canada | $7 (CAN) | Users must already be subscribed to Bell Fibe, Comwave TV, Delta Cable, Rogers, Shaw, Telus, or VMedia to be able to access the service. |
| ESPN | Most of South America | ARS 995 (ARP) | ESPN+ will be showing The Ashes in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Chile, and many more countries. This can be accessed via a Star+ subscription which costs about $10 (USD) per month. Users also get access to Disney + and more for this price. The price above is Argentine Peso. |
| BeinSports | Middle Eastern Countries | £E165 (EGP) | BeinSports have the rights to show The Ashes in Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, and Egypt. The shown price above is in Egyptian pounds and is around $11 USD. |
The good news is – even if you can't find your country anywhere on this list, you can still enjoy this year's Ashes. All you need is a VPN that is good at geo-spoofing and any (abroad) streaming channel subscription.
The same goes if you are currently abroad, and you want to access your existing sports channel profile (the one that you're using back home). Forget about new subscriptions and paying extra cash on every new destination whenever you travel – you can watch The Ashes on your favorite streaming platform from anywhere (with the same VPN package each time).
The best VPNs for watching The Ashes
Here's a list of the best VPNs for unblocking The Ashes regardless of your current location. We've carefully selected these providers based on their superior speeds, privacy features, and great unblocking power. We've tested all these service providers with all the major streaming platforms, including BT Sport and Kayo Sports.
ExpressVPN has super-fast servers in the UK and Australia, and exceptional unblocking features to ensure you don't miss a single wicket. ExpressVPN Demo ExpressVPN is a titan of the industry with over 10 years' experience setting the bar for its competition. It comes with super-fast servers and an enormous global network, spanning over 94 countries, to help you stream The Ashes anytime, anywhere. Alongside its regular server list, Express offers obfuscated (cloaked) servers – so you don't have to worry if your country applies strict censorship laws. You can stream the Ashes in nearly every country of the world with the utmost privacy. Express' apps are simple and easy to use on Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac, and thanks to its one-click connect function, it's a great choice for beginners. Despite this, you still get plenty of customization – letting you choose from a variety of protocols, features and functions, so you can watch every minute of this iconic series. Express always ranks highly in our speed tests, and its super-fast servers mean you'll never see buffering mid-bowl. Couple that with a military-grade implementation of the OpenVPN encryption protocol, and you get one of the best VPN services money can buy. You can even use the VPN to bypass bandwidth throttling letting you get the most out of your internet, and saving you from being slowed down by your internet provider. I love using Express to stream movies on Netflix, and I've never seen a buffering wheel when I've been connected. Express offers a range of cutting-edge privacy features, so you can watch the Ashes without having to sacrifice your privacy: Express is definitely one of the most expensive VPNs on the market, but it's a top-of-the-line VPN that constantly defines the gold standard for the industry. It even offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee, so you don't have to commit until you've put the VPN through its paces and compared it to its competition. NordVPN is an excellent choice for streaming the Ashes this season. It comes with a large network of servers, it's super-fast, and it comes with an abundance of security features. Nord Demo NordVPN is a popular choice for streaming, as it regularly invests in the updating and improving its network. Not only Nord is based in Panama (a country with excellent privacy laws), but it comes with some of the best privacy features on the market, so you can unblock The Ashes with ease. The NordVPN app is one of my favorite ones – thanks to its elegant design and intuitive features lay-out. Not only that, but Nord's privacy features follow the latest industry standards. The most useful of them for streaming the Ashes from outside of the UK and Australia include: With over 440 Nord servers in the UK and almost 200 in Australia, you won't miss any matches this year. On top of that, thousands of servers strategically placed in all parts of the world ensure that you don't lose Nord coverage wherever you travel. Users love NordVPN for its friendly user interface – it comes with an interactive world map that shows you the servers that are closest to you at each moment. Nord employs super-fast servers, and it shows in the quality of service it delivers. Whether you want to connect to a regular, obfuscated (stealth), or a specialized P2P server for torrenting, it's all really your choice, but you won't get disappointed with any of them. Nord regularly enters our list of the top five fastest servers in the world. I regularly use it for streaming and torrenting, and notice no speed fluctuations or buffering. I was happy with how it tackled the ISP throttling that I used to experience in the past. NordVPN has great apps for all your devices, regardless of whether you use Mac, Windows, iOS, or Android. It allows you up to 6 simultaneous connections and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee – so you can compare it head-to-head with Express without risking your cash. Private Internet Access is a well-established VPN company that works very hard on its network and its image. It has strong privacy features and unblocks almost everything. PIA Demo Private Internet Access (PIA) is constantly expanding its network, adding tens of thousands of servers in the past year alone. A favorite of Reddit's privacy community, it's great at unblocking most streaming platforms, and it's perfect for streaming the Ashes this year. PIA has a wide selection of servers in over 78 countries, and its network is constantly growing, and can consistently unblock Channel 7, BT Sport, SonyTV, ESPN, and many other sports channels from anywhere in the blink of an eye. The VPN even comes with an inbuilt ad and malware blocker, giving you greater protection when you're watching the ashes on public networks. PIA is consistently fast, so aside from streaming your favorite sports events, you can use it for online gaming and torrenting. Privacy purists can rest assured that, despite PIA's headquarters being in the US – home of the NSA and CIA – it's already proven its zero-log claims in court, on at least two different occasions (not many services can say the same). So, you can rest assured that PIA won't hand over your online data to the authorities, even if issued with a warrant – because it doesn't keep any to begin with. On top of this, PIA offers some of the latest and greatest privacy features, such as a kill-switch and obfuscated (stealth) servers – letting you bypass censorship by hiding your VPN traffic as regular internet traffic. So, you can watch the Ashes without looking over your shoulder and browse other websites without risking your sensitive data ending up in the wrong hands. Not only does it offer exceptional value for money, but it comes with 10 simultaneous connections as well – perfect for large families and tech enthusiasts. PIA offers a 30-day money-back guarantee as well, so you can compare it with Nord and Express without having to commit. PrivateVPN has over 200 different server locations to unblock all your favorite cricket tournaments worldwide. It's an easy-to-use service that comes at a very low price. PrivateVPN Demo PrivateVPN is another cheap but reliable VPN for streaming the Ashes. It unblocks all kinds of websites and platforms with total privacy. Private is one of the most beginner-friendly VPNs on the market – easy to use, with handy built-in guides. PrivateVPN has servers in over 63 countries around the globe, out of which 4 are in Australia, and 2 are in the UK. Couple that with SmartDNS technology integrated into every PrivateVPN server, and you can unblock The Ashes with ease. PrivateVPN is one of the few leading providers that offers SmartDNS technology, and one of the only providers to offer it on every server. PrivateVPN works on all major operating systems and has great apps that offer simple on-click connect functionality. This makes it perfect for beginners, as you can connect in seconds, and start streaming The ashes without the hassle of setting up your VPN. Private VPN has topped our top cheap VPN list for a long time. It's a low-cost, high-impact VPN that offers a range of features we'd normally expect from its more expensive competition. With the option to switch to advanced view, you can take total control over your VPN's encryption, and ensure the VPN works exactly how you want it to. PrivateVPN even comes with a high number of stealth servers, so you can unblock any sports streaming channel without worrying about extreme censorship and government firewalls. Best of all, these game-changing features come at no extra cost – as part of your regular subscription (less than $2 a month). PrivateVPN is based in Sweden – privacy-wise one of the most advanced countries in Europe – so you don't need to worry that Swedish authorities will abuse your digital privacy rights. Also, thanks to PrivateVPN's strict zero-logs policy, none of your internet usage is recorded, meaning that, even if PrivateVPN was served a warrant, they'd have nothing to hand over, anyway. PrivateVPN allows up to 10 simultaneous connections, so it's perfect for tech-savvy families or large groups of friends. This is nearly double the likes of Nord and Express, and means you can protect all of your devices without the need for a second subscription. Finally, thanks to Private's 30-day money-back guarantee, you can take your time to test it out and see how it compares to its more expensive competition. Surfshark has multiple server locations in both the UK and Australia, which makes it excellent for unblocking the Ashes. It's a reliable service with unlimited simultaneous connections. Surfshark Demo Surfshark is relatively new on the market, but it already sets some superior standards – it's great for unblocking different streaming websites, it has quick servers, and it comes with great customization on the offer. Surfshark is based in the Netherlands (one of the most privacy-oriented European countries), so you can sleep peacefully knowing that your privacy rights are protected with this VPN. Surfshark continues to invest invests in the latest privacy solutions like: If you're tired of annoying ads and malware can activate the latest CleanWeb feature turns this VPN into a full security suite. It's great for people who want to keep their devices as private and secure as possible, and you can share that protection with everyone you know! You can even take advantage of dark web monitoring that alerts you if any of your personal details get leaked online. Surfshark is great for users who want a VPN that'll do a lot more than just unblock The Ashes for them – it's an all-round privacy product that doesn't compromise, and doesn't break the bank. Surfshark has over 3,200 servers in over 65 countries worldwide, so no matter which country you find yourself in, there will be enough servers to support all your regular online activities. Surfshark servers are fast too, so you can stream the Ashes with no interruptions. Surfshark puts no limits on your simultaneous connections. So, with this VPN, you don't have to worry about how many devices you left on – you can stay connected all the time. If you're still unsure which VPN to choose, Surfshark also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can compare its features with the rest of the providers, risk-free. 1. ExpressVPN
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Cutting-edge solutions
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Excellent streaming capabilities
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Unblock everything at the minimal cost
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Stream the Ashes with ease
A premium VPN without the premium cost
Privacy-first and no hidden terms
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A wealth of privacy features
More than just a VPN
You'll never miss a wicket
Why are these the best VPNs for watching the Ashes?
At ProPrivacy, we understand how difficult finding the right VPN can be. We compare VPNs daily and test their performance with the greatest variety of websites and streaming platforms.
First of all, there are hundreds of VPNs currently available on the market, some of them even promising completely free services. But rule number one in the VPN industry is – there's no such thing as a free service. Spoiler alert – these VPNs can rarely be trusted. Also, with streaming platforms advancing each day, some VPNs often turn out to be completely ineffective – even after you pay for a premium subscription.
For that reason, here we've shortlisted only the best VPNs that we regularly test with the above-mentioned streaming platforms and listed the ones that have the following essential qualities:
- Consistent geo-spoofing – so you know you'll never miss a match
- Servers in the UK and Australia – ideal for getting the best coverage of The Ashes
- Fast connection and streaming speeds – no one wants buffering when the bowler's mid-throw
- Strong encryption – utilizing the latest and greatest in VPN technology to keep your data secure
- Highly-customizable privacy features – giving you the option to run the VPN how you want it to be
- Good value-for money – we've listed VPNs that give a great selection of the most essential features (all with no extra cost)
- A money-back guarantee – so you can test the service without risking your cash
Why do you need a VPN to stream Ashes?
Each sports channel can stream only the content it has the copyright to show (legal contracts and agreements from the sport event organizers). On top of that, these licenses are only valid for the countries for which they were issued. As you can imagine, this brings a lot of limitations and complications.
Also, each time you join the internet, your ISP gives you a dedicated IP address to be able to identify and locate you. It's based on this IP address that websites can see your geographical location and refuse you access to some content. Luckily, with the help of a VPN, you can change your IP address by connecting to a server in a different country. From that moment on, you can browse, stream, and download local content freely as if you were a citizen of that country – because that's how websites see you now.
In other words, if you connect to a server in Australia or UK, you can unblock The Ashes within seconds because channels like Channel 7 and BT Sport become available to you.
Is using a VPN to watch The Ashes illegal?
Once people learn about a VPN's ability to bypass censorship and different kinds of geo-restrictions, most people fear that it's something highly illegal. If that thought crossed your mind when reading this article, you should know that, in most places, VPNs are perfectly legal, and so is using them to access different streaming services. The only exceptions are in countries where using a VPN itself is banned/restricted (such as in China and Russia).
By installing a VPN, you are still accessing services legitimately, just from a different location. Of course, most streaming platforms disagree with this activity, and many of them will even try to block your VPN activities. That's why it's vital that you use a VPN with strong encryption and advanced privacy features that is proven to work with these services (fortunately, we've already curated the best of the best above).
The Ashes fixtures
The great cricket event will last from December 8 until January 18. The Second and Fifth Tests are scheduled for very early in the morning. The final, fifth Test was scheduled to be held in Perth. However, it will be relocated because of the border restrictions following Covid-19 guidelines – the new location is not yet confirmed.
Depending on the place where you live, some of the Tests' timings may be very awkward. So, make sure you get a sports channel subscription and a VPN ahead of the schedule. The last thing you want is to fiddle with subscriptions at the last moment and miss some of the game.
Here's a quick reminder of the best VPNs to stream this season of The Ashes: