AFC Asian Cup 2019: when and how to live stream every match in Australia

Despite the Socceroos losing to the UAE during the wee hours of Saturday morning, there's no denying Aussies love their football. Fans will be eager to know who takes away this year's championship title and many eager to watch the semifinals and finals live.

The business end of the AFC Asian Cup 2019 is well underway in the United Arab Emirates. With the UAE, quite literally, on the other side of the world, it’s going to be hard to stay awake to watch the matches live.

If coffee doesn't help keep you awake, take heart as you can also watch the replays at your convenience, and we tell you when and how to keep up with all the action this week.

2019 AFC Asian Cup schedule

The first semifinal match between Japan and Iran was played out early this morning, with Japan beating the opponents 3-0.

That means Japan is already in the finals, but who will their final opponent be? The next semifinals – between Qatar and the UAE – is yet to be played. If you wish to watch it live, set the alarm for 1am Australian Eastern time on January 30.

You get to catch up on some sleep before the finals, which will be live on February 2 at 1am AEDT.

How to watch the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in Australia

There are a couple of options to choose from when it comes to watching the Asian Cup in Australia, but none of them are free-to-air. This, however, may be a good thing – with games scheduled for the middle of the night, a paid subscription offers you on-demand replays that you can watch at your own leisure.

Fox Sports has the broadcast rights to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup tournament, and channel 505 is showing every single match live. In fact, for the duration of the championships, Fox Sports 505 has become a dedicated 24-hour channel exclusively broadcasting football.

So, how do you get access to channel 505?

Kayo Sports | $5 for February
$25 per month; 14-day free trial

This is Australia’s latest streaming service and it’s dedicated exclusively to sports. It’s a sister product from Foxtel, meaning it mirrors everything being broadcast on a Foxtel Sports package, with the exception of the English Premier League channels, Eurosport and Sky Racing. That means, for just $25 a month, you can watch all the sports you want to your heart’s content.

If, however, you sign up between January 28 and February 4, Kayo will only cost you $5 for the whole of February. Meaning you get to watch the 2019 AFC Asian Cup for much less.

There is also a 14-day free trial. You can sign up now and watch the business end of the tournament for free. If you choose to stay on, you pay $25 from March onwards, but there is no lock-in contract and you can cancel any time.

Read more: Kayo Sports review

Foxtel IQ | from $68 per month; 12-month contract

Foxtel’s internet-enabled set-top boxes will also give you access to Fox Sports 505. However, there’s no free trial here, so you will be paying for the subscription from the get-go. For $68 a month, you get not just all the Sports channels, you also get access to Entertainment and HD packs on Foxtel as well, so you will be able to watch the latest season of Game of Thrones when it finally hits screens this year.

If you want more out of your Foxtel subscription, you can sign up for the $99 per month Platinum HD ultimate package and get everything available on Foxtel, including all sports, entertainment and movie packages.

Read more: Foxtel IQ3 hands-on review

Foxtel Now | $54 per month; 10-day free trial

Another way to live stream the 2019 AFC Asian Cup is to sign up for a Foxtel Now subscription for $25 a month. You’ll need to add the Sports pack to the subscription as well, taking your monthly costs up to $54 a month. There is a 10-day free trial, so if you sign up now you will be able to watch some of the group matches and the Round of 16, however you’ll need to pay up if you want to hold on to the subscription all the way to the finals, which is scheduled for February 2.

Read more: Foxtel Now review

Sign up for any of the above options by clicking on the green buttons, then fortify yourself with plenty of coffee to counter the sleepless nights.

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Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.