How to watch UK Championship 2021: live stream snooker from anywhere

UK Championship trophy in front of two players playing snooker

(Image credit: Getty Images/Visual China Group via Getty Images)

Neil Robertson consigned Judd Trump to more UK Championship heartbreak 12 months ago, but the Bristolian enters the first Triple Crown event of this season in top form. Will anyone be able to stop him in York? Read on as we explain how to watch a 2021 UK Championship snooker live stream online today from anywhere - including for free thanks to the BBC and its easy-to-use iPlayer streaming service.

UK Championship snooker live stream

Dates: November 23 - December 5

Daily start times: 1pm GMT / 8am ET / 5am PT / 9pm CST / 12am ADT

Venue: York Barbican, York, UK

FREE snooker live stream: BBC iPlayer (UK)

Global live streams: CCTV (CH) | DAZN (US) | DAZN Canada free trial | Sky Sport (NZ)

Watch anywhere: try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free

The UK Championship is second only to the World Championship in terms of scale and importance, and Trump - currently ranked world No. 2 behind Mark Selby - has only won it once, a full decade ago.

However, having blasted aside the competition in his maiden Champion of Champions triumph last weekend, he's looking like the man to beat.

The tournament has been a far happier hunting ground for Ronnie O'Sullivan, the most successful player in UK Championship history with seven titles to his name. With recent murmurs suggesting that The Rocket may have lost his edge, don't rule out some timely fireworks.

Robertson edged an unforgettable neck-and-neck classic of a final a year ago, and whatever happens this time, the good news is that it's easy to get a FREE snooker live stream - just follow our guide to watch the 2021 UK Championship online from anywhere.

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Watch UK Championship FREE: live stream snooker in the UK

The great news for snooker fans in the UK is that the UK Championship is being shown on free-to-air TV, courtesy of the BBC.

You can catch all of the action from the second round onwards (November 27 - December 5) across BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Red Button.

If you're not in front of a TV, the BBC iPlayer streaming service is the way to tune in. As a national broadcaster, it doesn't cost a penny to stream if you're located in the UK.

The afternoon sessions typically start at 1pm GMT, with the BBC's coverage beginning at 12.45pm. The evening sessions get underway at 7pm each day.

Hardcore fans may instead want to take a look at Discovery+, which is showing the entire tournament from start to finish, kicking off on November 23.

The Discovery+ Entertainment and Sport package costs £6.99 per month or £59.99 per year, and lets you watch a wide array of sports events throughout the year, cycling being one of its biggest draws.

How to watch UK Championship snooker from outside your country

We've set out below the ways you can watch a UK Championship live stream in a number of countries around the world. However, if you're away travelling for work or pleasure, you probably won't be able to watch the snooker like you normally would at home.

That's the result of geo-blocking - best understood as digital borders that restrict certain services and content to certain parts of the world. A good streaming VPN can let you get around these digital borders, while also offering robust protection from cybercriminals and government snooping.

Use a VPN to live stream snooker from anywhere

ExpressVPN is the world's top VPN right now
We've taken the time to try out all the biggest VPN providers and we found ExpressVPN to be the pick of the bunch. It works with lots of devices and offers super fast connections across its many servers.

Throw in its robust set of security features and ExpressVPN is the best all-round VPN for streaming - and perhaps best of all, it has a 30-day money back guarantee plus 3 months FREE when you subscribe for a year.

Access ExpressVPN via your laptop, iPhone, tablet, Android phone, PlayStation, Xbox and plenty more. Express is a do-it-all service that also benefits from 24/7 customer support.

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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 the UK, just head to the BBC iPlayer site or app once the broadcaster's coverage begins

Can I watch the snooker in Australia?

Until recently, Eurosport used to be the place for snooker fans in Australia to get the coverage of world tournaments. But that is no more, and we can't find it listed on any other broadcaster's schedule.

That means that the only way we can think of to live stream snooker Down Under is to grab the best streaming VPN you can and head to a broadcaster's site abroad that is showing it.

How to watch UK Championship snooker: live stream FREE in Canada

Streaming service DAZN is the place to watch the UK Championship snooker in Canada, though as is the case in most places, coverage begins at the start of the second round on November 27.

And it's an absolute bargain - DAZN costs just CAD$20 a month or $150 a year.

Plus, the FREE 30-day DAZN trial lets you try before you buy - essentially meaning you can live stream the tournament free of charge.

DAZN is also the exclusive Canadian streaming home of Premier League and Champions League soccer, and the NFL!

It also comes with support for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, PS4, and laptop/PC streaming (including Mac devices).

Don't forget to set your alarm though, with the early sessions starting at 8am ET / 5am PT, and the evening sessions getting underway at 2pm ET / 11am PT.

How to watch a UK Championship snooker live stream in China

Related: all of the best VPNs for China

How to watch snooker: live stream 2021 UK Championship in the US

DAZN is also showing the UK Championship in the US, from the start of the second round on November 27.

A subscription costs just $19.99 a month or $99.99 for the year, and DAZN offers plenty to watch other than just snooker - boxing, soccer and darts being some of its bigger draws.

Coverage of the snooker starts at 8am ET / 5am PT most days for the early session, with the evening sessions beginning at 2pm ET / 11am PT.

Don't forget, any Americans away from home right now can still tune in as normal with a VPN.

How to live stream snooker in New Zealand

Live UK Championship snooker coverage in New Zealand comes courtesy of Sky Sport, which is available as part of a range of pay TV packages.

Subscribers can watch online using the country's Sky Go service, while cord-cutters and anyone else can try the Sky Sport Now streaming-only platform - where a weekly pass costs just $19.99.

Again, coverage begins at the start of the second round on November 27, and be warned that you may end up losing a fair bit of sleep over the course of the tournament, with play typically starting at 2am NZDT, extending through the night into the late morning.

Anyone in New Zealand from abroad or vice-versa can use the VPN route outlined earlier to access their preferred coverage just like they would at home.

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.