{"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"u28R38WdMo","rid":"R7EKS5F","offerId":"OF3HQTHR122A","offerTemplateId":"OTQ347EHGCHM"}}

How to watch the Melbourne Cup on TV live from anywhere in the world


  • Horse & Hound is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Learn more
  • Watch the Melbourne Cup on TV and don’t miss out on the biggest thoroughbred race in Australia.

    The richest two-mile handicap in the world, the Melbourne Cup forms part of the Melbourne Cup Carnival and has been run every year since 1861.

    At a glance

    How to watch the Melbourne Cup

    There are a number of international broadcasters with rights to the Melbourne Cup Carnival, including…

    • Australia – Channel 9/9 Now (FREE) or Racing.com
    • Canada – Sportsnet
    • Ireland – Virgin Media/Virgin Media Play (FREE)
    • New Zealand – TVNZ1/TVNZ+ (FREE)
    • US – Fox Sports
    • UK – Sky Sports Racing

    How to watch the Melbourne Cup live from anywhere

    A VPN is your ultimate companion to watching horse racing safely online, wherever you are in the world.

    A Virtual Private Network will unblock the geo-restrictions you find on most streaming platforms, so you can get your usual coverage even while abroad. A VPN will also keep you secure while online, using encrypted connections to ensure your data remains private.

    There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. We’d suggest using a paid-for service, such as NordVPN, which our colleagues at TechRadar rate as the best VPN service in the business. You can try 100% risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee, 24/7 support and, right now, a big discount.

    NordVPN’s Black Friday deal
    – Up to 77% off two-year plans
    – 3 months extra FREE

    View Deal

    How to use a VPN

    Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

    1. Install the VPN of your choice. NordVPN is the one we recommend.

    2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access.

    3. Then head over to your chosen provider on your browser or device and enjoy the livestream.

    What is the Melbourne Cup?

    The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group One race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3,200m race for horses aged three and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club and is the highlight of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

    It is the richest two-mile handicap in the world and one of the richest turf races – it is known as “the race that stops the nation”.

    What time is the Melbourne Cup?

    The Melbourne Cup post time is 3pm (local time, AEDT) on Tuesday 4 November 2025. This equates to 4am British time on Tuesday 4 November.

    Melbourne Cup Day post times

    Time is provided in local time (AEDT), followed by British time in brackets.

    10:45 (23:45) | Race 1: Darley Maribyrnong Plate
    11:20 (00:20) | Race 2: MA Services Grand Handicap
    12:00 (01:00) | Race 3: TAB Trophy
    12:40 (01:40) | Race 4: The Schweppervescence Plate
    13:20 (02:20) | Race 5: Australian Heritage Cup
    13:55 (02:55) | Race 6: Kirin Ichiban Plate
    15:00 (04:00) | Race 7: Lexus Melbourne Cup
    15:50 (04:50) | Race 8: Lexus Amanda Elliott
    16:35 (05:35) | Race 9: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes
    17:15 (06:15) | Race 10: Channel 9 Trophy

    You may also be interested in:

    A beginner’s guide to betting

    If you fancy having a flutter on a horse race but don’t know where to start, we’re here to help.

    We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:

    1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service)
    2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad

    We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing. 

    You may like...