How to watch Melbourne Cup 2021 and live stream in Australia and abroad

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Twilight Payment looking to retain his crown at Flemington

Horses and riders crossing Melbourne Cup finish line in front of cityscape
(Image credit: Brett Holburt/Racing Photos via Getty Images)

Giddy up for the 161st running of the race that stops the nation, the Melbourne Cup. A gruelling three-and-a-bit minute gallop around 3,200m of grass track at the Flemington Racecourse, it's always a sight to behold. And you can read on as our guide tells you how to watch a 2021 Melbourne Cup live stream from anywhere in the world - with free options explained too.

2021 Melbourne Cup live stream

Date: Tuesday, November 2

Race start time: 3pm AEDT / 5pm NZDT / 4am GMT / 12am ET / 9pm PT (Mon)

Venue: Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne 

Free live stream: 10 Play / Kayo Sports FREE trial (AU) | TVNZ On Demand (NZ)

Global live streams: Sky Sports (UK) | FS1 via Sling TV or FREE fuboTV trial (US)

Watch anywhere: try world's #1 VPN 100% risk-free

Eight-year-old Irish thoroughbred Twilight Payment beat the odds by leading from start to finish last year, recording the fastest time since 2002. 

And he's being hotly tipped to become the first horse to retain the Melbourne Cup since Makybe Diva pulled off the treble in 2005, having finished second at the 2,800m Irish St Leger in September.

The main competition is expected to come from the homegrown Caulfield Cup winner Incentivise, who dominated the 2,400m race last month, Verry Elleegant, the reigning Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year who rode home in seventh last year, and Spanish Mission.

It's the biggest horse race in Australia, so read on to find out how to get a 2021 Melbourne Cup live stream from anywhere in the world. 

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How to watch a FREE Melbourne Cup live stream in Australia

Network 10

Fans in Australia can tune in to the 2021 Melbourne Cup on free-to-air Network 10. 

Available on Freeview and on the 10 Bold website, coverage of Melbourne Cup Day starts at 10am AEDT on Tuesday, ahead of the main race itself at 3pm.

And because there's a 10 Play app for Android, iOS, Apple TV and Amazon Fire Stick, you'll be able to catch the action on just about any device.

However, anyone who watches more than just the horse racing may instead want to consider a service that gets them a wide range of sports coverage...

Kayo Sports offers a FREE two-week free trial, and is a great-value streaming service that provides access to the Melbourne Cup, plus F1, football, AFL, NRL, Super Rugby AOT, cricket and way more. Handy if you don't want to go all out on Fox.

Kayo Sports Basic Package costs $25 per month and allows users to stream across two devices simultaneously, while the Premium package costs $35 a month and allows three streams.

Not in Australia right now? You can take your coverage abroad with you as well. For those wanting to watch home coverage of sports from overseas, a good VPN is the solution.

How to live stream Melbourne Cup 2021 from outside your country

If you're outside your country of residence - whether that be Australia or anywhere else - and try to stream the racing via your native broadcaster, you'll soon discover that you can't, as it's location restricted. But there is a way to tune in regardless.

By downloading and installing a VPN, you can effectively trick your computer into thinking that it's back at home. That way you can enjoy your home coverage without having to find an illegal stream - assuming you comply with the broadcaster's fine print, of course - specifically its terms and conditions.

Use a VPN to watch Melbourne Cup from anywhere

ExpressVPN - get the world's best VPN

ExpressVPN - get the world's best VPN
We've put all the major VPNs through their paces and we rate ExpressVPN as our top pick, thanks to its speed, ease of use and strong security features. It's also compatible with just about any streaming device out there, including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation, as well as Android and Apple mobiles.

Sign up for an annual plan now and get an extra 3 months absolutely FREE. And if you change your mind within the first 30 days, let them know and they'll give you your money back without a quibble.

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Using a VPN is as easy as one-two-three...

1. Download and install a VPN - as we say, our top choice is ExpressVPN

2. Connect to the appropriate server location - open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate location

3. Go to the broadcaster's live stream - so if you're from Australia, just head to the 10 Play site or app

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How to watch 2021 Melbourne Cup FREE in New Zealand

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Viewers in New Zealand can also tune in for FREE, with coverage of the Melbourne Cup being provided by TVNZ 1 from 4.30pm NZDT. The race itself gets underway at 5pm.

 You can live stream the Melbourne Cup via the free TVNZ OnDemand streaming service too, which is completely free to use and available on a wide range of devices. 

If you're away from New Zealand right now, use a VPN and you'll be streaming the action in no time at all.

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How to watch a Melbourne Cup live stream in the UK

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Horse racing fans in the UK have a late night ahead, with the Melbourne Cup main race starting at 4am GMT on Tuesday morning.

If you stay up late enough, you can tune in on Sky Sports, with coverage of the event starting at 11pm on Monday night on Sky Sports Racing. 

Subscribers also get to live stream the action using the Sky Go app, which is available on nearly all modern phones, tablets, laptops, PCs and consoles.

For those without Sky, the best option is a Now Sky Sports Membership, which includes all 11 channels.

To access your usual streaming service from outside the UK, you'll need to download a good VPN as detailed above. 

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How to watch the 2021 Melbourne Cup in the US

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The 2021 Melbourne Cup action is being shown on FS1 in the US, with coverage starting at 10.30pm ET / 7.30pm PT on Monday night, ahead of the race itself at 12am ET / 9pm PT.

You can also tune in on the Fox Sports streaming platform, but you'll have to enter your cable provider’s credentials for access.

Not got cable? There are plenty of over-the-top TV streaming services you can use too. Of the many options, we recommend Sling TV, with its Blue package offering Fox Sports. 

Sling Blue usually costs $35 per month, but new subscribers can get a fantastic bargain - right now you can save big bucks with this Sling TV deal, which lets you get a whole month of Sling Blue for $10.

Another great option is fuboTV, an even more comprehensive streamer that also offers Fox Sports channels. Packages start from $64.99 a month, but there's a FREE fuboTV trial you can try to see if it's right for you.

And remember, if you're abroad right now you can use a VPN to tune into your home subscription service, no matter where you are in the world.

Aatif Sulleyman
Aatif Sulleyman

Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.