Free sport by country
Rights are sold market by market: the same match changes broadcaster the moment you cross a border. These guides say what is free in each country.
- Free sport in Spain — Quick answer: in Spain, free sport comes mainly via RTVE and Teledeporte, and via events that the law requires to be broadcast free-to-air. LaLiga and much club football are behind a paywall; major events are not.
- Free sport in Italy — Quick answer: in Italy free sport is concentrated on Rai and RaiPlay, as well as the events that must be broadcast free-to-air. Club football is mostly pay-per-view; the major championships and Olympic sport are not.
- Free sport in the UK — Quick answer: in the UK, free sport depends on the BBC and ITVX, plus events protected by law. The Premier League is almost entirely paywalled, but Wimbledon, the Games and matches involving the national teams are not. BBC iPlayer requires a TV licence, while ITVX is free with registration and adverts.
- Free sport in the United States — Quick answer: in the United States, free sport comes via free-to-air networks (NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox) and via ad-supported plans from some services. The NFL, the NBA and MLB alternate between free-to-air and paywalled matches. Coverage is broad for college sport, while professional leagues split their schedules between free games and subscription packages.
- Free sport in Germany — Quick answer: in Germany, ARD and ZDF broadcast the major events and a part of national sport free of charge, also through their apps. The Bundesliga is mostly pay-TV, but summaries and some international matches remain available. The public broadcasters are financed by the household broadcasting fee and have no pay-per-view.
- Free sport in France — Quick answer: in France, free sport comes through France Télévisions and through the events that the law reserves for free-to-air television. Ligue 1 is behind a paywall; Roland Garros and the Games, for the most part, are not, so a significant share of top-level sport remains accessible without a subscription.
- Free sport in Portugal — Quick answer: in Portugal, free sport is concentrated on RTP, especially major events and national team sport. The Primeira Liga is behind a paywall, and club coverage is shared among private channels. RTP broadcasts a significant part of national sport and international events free to air, while for club competitions it is worth checking whether free highlights or matches are available.
- Free sport in Mexico — Quick answer: in Mexico, free-to-air television still shows sport for free, especially international events and national team matches. The domestic league is divided between free-to-air channels and pay platforms, and availability changes from season to season and according to the agreements in place. There is no strict protected-events list as in Europe, so free coverage depends on deals between broadcasters and rights holders.