The 2026 Australian Rules Football season begins this week with five opening round matches taking place all over Australia. The season opener on March 5 sees the Sydney Swans face off against Carlton at home, but if you plan to watch from the U.S., just know that you’ll have to get up well before the sun — the match begins at 3:30 a.m. ET. Every match this season is available to stream with a subscription to WatchAFL.com.au, which starts at $20 per week or $39/month, but there’s another way to tune in without paying a subscription fee.
No matter where you are or who you root for, you’ll be able to watch the opening round matches and the rest of this season with the help of a VPN. Here’s how you can catch the entire Aussie Rules Football season from the U.S.
How to watch Australian Rules Football in 2026
Dates: March 5 – September 2026
TV channel: 7Plus Australia
Streaming:WatchAFL.com.au or 7Plus via VPN
When is the Australian Rules Football season opener?
The first game of the Australian Rules Football 2026 season will be on March 5 between the Sydney Swans and Carlton Blues. A complete schedule of this weekend’s games is below.
Who is competing in the Australian Rules Football league?
The Aussie Rules Football League (AFL) consists of the following teams:
North Melbourne Kangaroos
Melbourne Demons
Port Adelaide Power
Essendon Bombers
Adelaide Crows
West Coast Eagles
Richmond Tigers
Collingwood Magpies
Fremantle Dockers
St. Kilda Saints
Brisbane Lions
Western Bulldogs
GWS Giants
Hawthorn Hawks
Gold Coast Suns
Geelong Cats
Sydney Swans
Carlton Blues
How to watch the AFL League in the USA without cable
Many Australian Rules Football matches will be broadcast live and free throughout Australia on 7Plus (streamable via7Plus.com). If you’re outside Australia, you can still catch them with the help of a VPN.
How to stream the AFL from the U.S.
Live outside Australia but still want to watch Aussie Rules Football? For serious AFL fans, you can sign up for a subscription to watch games on WatchAFL.com.au, a streaming platform that broadcasts major rugby matches live to international fans across the world. A monthly subscription to the service runs $39/month, or bump up to an annual subscription for $182 and you’ll be able to watch every game throughout the year.
Watch AFL matches at WatchAFL.com.au
For a more economical option, the solution is simple: Tune into matches for free on 7Plus.com with the help of a VPN.
A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. If you’re looking to watch an Aussie broadcast of AFL matches, a VPN can help you out.
Opening Round AFL match schedule:
A comprehensive schedule of every game this season can be found here.
All times ET
Thursday, March 5
Sydney vs. Carlton, 3:30 a.m. (7Plus, WatchAFL)
Friday, March 6
Gold Coast vs. Geelong, 4:05 a.m. (7Plus, WatchAFL)
Saturday, March 7
GWS vs. Hawthorn, 12:15 a.m. (7Plus, WatchAFL)
Brisbane vs. Western, 3:35 a.m. (WatchAFL)
Sunday, March 8
St. Kilda vs. Collingwood, 4:20 a.m. (WatchAFL)