Free sport by sport

Every sport has its own geography of rights. These pages say which broadcasters carry it free and which keep it behind a paywall.

Football for free and legally — Quick answer: free and legal football is mostly internationals, the Champions League in some markets and the matches that the law requires to be broadcast free-to-air. The big domestic leagues are, for the most part, paywalled.
Free and legal basketball — Quick answer: free basketball depends on the country. National teams and some league matches are broadcast free-to-air; the NBA and the EuroLeague alternate between free and paid broadcasts depending on the market. In Spain, RTVE broadcasts part of the ACB and international basketball; in Italy, RaiPlay covers the EuroLeague in certain matches.
Free and legal tennis — Quick answer: the Grand Slams have free-to-air broadcast agreements in many countries, especially Wimbledon and Roland Garros. The rest of the tour, including most ATP and WTA events, usually requires a subscription or a paid sports plan. Availability varies by tournament, broadcaster and season, so it is worth checking local listings before assuming a match will be shown free.
Formula 1 free and legal — Quick answer: Formula 1 is paywalled in most markets, but several countries broadcast some races free-to-air, and highlights are usually free. F1 itself offers an official plan with limited content. The difference between a race, qualifying and highlights matters: even if the race is paywalled, qualifying or highlights may still be available free-to-air.
MotoGP for free and legally — Quick answer: MotoGP is mostly paywalled, but some markets broadcast races or highlights free-to-air. The official service lets you follow the full season with its own plan, and rights-holding broadcasters often provide free highlights. As with Formula 1, it helps to distinguish between the race, qualifying and the highlights, because access can be different for each.
Free and legal boxing — Quick answer: top-level boxing is almost always sold as pay-per-view, but there are free-to-air fights, preliminary cards and free highlights depending on the country. The legal route does exist, although it is limited and changes with each promoter, so what is free in one market may be paid for in another.
Free and legal mixed martial arts — Quick answer: the UFC and the major mixed martial arts leagues are almost always pay-per-view, but preliminaries, highlights and some full events are broadcast free-to-air depending on the country. A legal route exists, although it is limited, and availability varies by market and by promoter. Check the official broadcaster for each card.
Free and legal American football — Quick answer: in the United States, the NFL broadcasts free-to-air matches every week, spread across national and local channels. Outside the country, availability depends on the local operator: some services offer free games and others are subscription-only. The rest of the season still requires a subscription or a sports plan.
Free and legal cricket — Quick answer: free cricket depends heavily on the market. In India, the United Kingdom and Australia, some matches are available free-to-air or on public platforms; in other countries, almost everything is paywalled. Availability also varies by format and broadcaster, so it is worth checking the official governing body and your national public broadcaster before assuming a match is free.
Free and legal rugby — Quick answer: whether rugby is free to watch depends on the market. In Europe, the Six Nations and the World Cup have part of their coverage available free-to-air, while club leagues usually require a subscription. Availability therefore varies by country and competition, so it is worth checking the public broadcaster and the rights holder in your market before assuming a match is free.
Free and legal ice hockey — Quick answer: the NHL and European leagues show some matches free-to-air and offer free highlights, but the full season usually requires a subscription. The World Championship and the Olympic Games have public coverage in several countries.
Free and legal baseball — Quick answer: MLB shows free matches on certain days and free highlights, but the full season requires a subscription. In Latin America and Japan, local leagues have variable free-to-air coverage.
Free and legal cycling — Quick answer: the Grand Tours and many one-day classics are shown free-to-air in the countries where they take place, especially by public broadcasters. The rest of the calendar varies: some races are available on free-to-air television or through free highlights, while others usually require a subscription. Coverage abroad often depends on local rights deals, so check the broadcaster in your own country before assuming a race is free.
Other sports for free and legally — Here we collect events from disciplines without their own section: volleyball, minor sports and competitions that switch sport every season. Free coverage depends on the country and the organiser.
Free and legal golf — Quick answer: in golf, some majors and the Ryder Cup have free-to-air coverage in several countries, and highlights are usually free to watch. The rest of the circuit, both in Europe and the United States, requires a paid subscription or a sports plan. The difference is the same as in other sports: the big events have free-to-air broadcasting agreements, while the regular tour is concentrated on platforms.
Free and legal athletics — Quick answer: athletics enjoys good public coverage in Europe, especially at the World Championships, the Olympics and Diamond League meetings. Availability depends on the country and on the broadcaster that holds the rights for each event. This guide sets out where free-to-air coverage tends to be found and what you can usually watch legally, so you can check the options in your own market.
Free and legal handball — Quick answer: handball has notable public coverage in countries such as Spain, France, Germany and Denmark, especially in national team competitions. World and European championships are often partly free-to-air in participating countries, while club leagues and the Champions League alternate between free-to-air and pay-TV depending on the market in question.