The AFL season runs March to September. Channel 7 / 7plus broadcast selected games free to air — Thursday nights, Friday nights, Sunday afternoons and all marquee matches. The Grand Final is exclusive to Channel 7 (free). Every game of every round is on Fox Footy / Kayo.

The NRL season runs from March to October, with three free-to-air games per week on Channel 9. Every game of every round is on Fox League / Kayo. State of Origin is exclusively live on Channel 9 / 9Now (free). The Brisbane Broncos enter 2026 as defending premiers.

The A-League Men and Women's A-League both kick off their 2026/27 seasons on 16 October 2026, opening with a Sydney derby. Coverage in Australia is on Network 10 / 10 Play (free) and Paramount+ (subscription). The Socceroos' next big assignment is the AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, January–February 2027.

The Super Rugby Pacific season (February–June) has just finished for 2026. Next up for the Wallabies is the Test match season from August, including the Bledisloe Cup against New Zealand and The Rugby Championship. Super Rugby is broadcast live on Stan Sport (subscription); Wallabies Tests are typically on Stan Sport with some free-to-air coverage.

The Supercars Championship (Australia's premier touring car series) runs March to November, with most rounds live on Kayo Sports / Fox Sports and some free-to-air coverage on Channel 7. Formula 1 runs March to December; the Australian Grand Prix was held in Melbourne earlier in the year. F1 in Australia is on Kayo Sports / Fox Sports (subscription).

The four Grand Slams are the biggest events in tennis. In Australia, the Australian Open is on Channel 9 / 9Now (free). Wimbledon and the US Open are on Stan Sport (paid). The French Open is on beIN Sports / Kayo (paid). Stan Sport also covers the full ATP and WTA tour year-round.

Australian domestic and international cricket is between seasons — the next home summer of cricket (Sheffield Shield, Big Bash League and international Tests) begins in October. Cricket Australia's website has fixtures and results year-round; live coverage of most cricket in Australia is on Fox Cricket / Kayo (subscription), with the Big Bash League also free on Channel 7 / 7plus.

Australia's top netball competition features eight teams. Selected matches are broadcast free via Kayo Freebies — a no-subscription section of Kayo available to everyone. The full season is on Kayo Sports (subscription) and Fox Sports. Right now, the Australian Diamonds (national team) are also competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games — free to watch on Channel 7 / 7plus.

All four of golf's majors for 2026 have now been played. Rory McIlroy won the Masters for the second consecutive year, Aaron Rai (England) claimed the PGA Championship, and The Open Championship wrapped up at Royal Birkdale in July. Next up is the FedEx Cup Playoffs in August, then the tour heads into its off-season events. In Australia, all PGA Tour and major golf is on Fox Sports / Kayo (subscription) — there is no free-to-air coverage.

Australia's two national basketball leagues — the NBL (men) and WNBL (women) — both begin their new seasons in October. The Boomers (men) and Opals (women) represent Australia internationally throughout the year. (Looking for the NBA? That's under USA Sports below.) Right now, keep an eye on 3x3 basketball at the Commonwealth Games — free on Channel 7 / 7plus.

Racing runs year-round in Australia, with winter carnivals (like the Brisbane Winter Carnival) on now and the big Spring Racing Carnival — including the Melbourne Cup — building from September through November. Free-to-air coverage of major race days is on Channel 7 / 7plus and Network 10, with Sky Racing (via Foxtel/Kayo, or free through TAB accounts) showing every race, every day.

Outside of major Games, Australian athletes also compete on the international Diamond League circuit through the (northern) summer, and domestically in the Australian Athletics Championships each April. Coverage in Australia is mostly on Kayo Sports / ESPN, with free scores and results always available from World Athletics.

The Tour de France — cycling's biggest annual event — is held every July and is shown free-to-air and live in Australia on SBS, a long-standing tradition for Australian cycling fans. Road cycling classics and other Grand Tours (Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España) are mostly on subscription services.

Outside of the Commonwealth Games, the Australian Dolphins compete domestically at the Australian Swimming Championships (usually April/May, doubling as major-event trials) and internationally throughout the year. Coverage of most swimming outside marquee events is limited in Australia — check Swimming Australia for the latest broadcast details.

Major League Baseball's regular season runs March/April to September/October, building to the World Series. Coverage in Australia is on ESPN / Kayo (subscription). The Australian Baseball League (ABL) runs November–February each summer, with some free coverage.

Australia's national teams, the Kookaburras (men) and Hockeyroos (women), compete internationally throughout the year, including the FIH Pro League. Domestically, the Hockey One League runs September–October. Note: hockey is not part of the 2026 Commonwealth Games program this time around.

A catch-all for sports that don't need their own section but residents may still want to follow — surfing, boxing, mixed martial arts, sailing, squash and more. The Commonwealth Games (23 July – 2 August) also includes boxing and judo, both free on Channel 7 / 7plus.

American sports have a growing following in Australia, mostly via ESPN on Kayo Sports (subscription). The NFL preseason begins in August with the regular season from September; MLB is currently in its regular season; the NBA and NHL are both in their off-seasons, returning in October. MLS (soccer) is also in season.