How to watch NRL Magic Round 2026: Free Streams, TV Channels, Preview | Tech Radar
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How to watch NRL Magic Round 2026: Rugby League Free Streams, TV Channels, Preview
The world's largest rugby league festival weekend returns to Sucorp Stadium, Brisbane
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Watch NRL Magic Round 2026 live streams as 16 men's teams descend on Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, for the ultimate festival of rugby league. It all begins on Thursday with Game II of the Women’s State of Origin, Queensland Women vs New South Wales Women, followed by three days of huge NRL Magic Round matches. Canberra have the bye.
The inconsistent Sharks take on the struggling Bulldogs on Friday in the first men's match of eight over the weekend. The Bulldogs have lost six of their past seven games, while the Sharks beat the Rabbitohs but without playing well.
Eels vs Storm on Saturday could be close. With both teams struggling at the bottom of the table, a golden point win for the former against the Cowboys last week may be the start of better form.
The final match of the weekend is the top-of-the-table Panthers, NRL champions in four of the past five seasons, against the bottom-placed Dragons.
Here's where to watch NRL Magic Round 2026 live streams online from anywhere – including which games you can watch this weekend absolutely FREE!
Three NRL Magic Round 2026 games are on free-to-air Channel 9 and 9 Now in Australia.
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Dolphins 6am ET / 3am PT / 11am BST / 8pm AEST
Parramatta Eels vs Melbourne Storm 5.45am ET / 2.45am PT / 10.45am BST / 7.45pm AEST
New Zealand Warriors vs Brisbane Broncos 2am ET / 11pm PT (Sat) / 7am BST / 4.05pm AEST
What if you're overseas? Use Nord VPN to watch your usual streaming service from anywhere.
Use a VPN to watch NRL Magic Round 2026 from anywhere
This handy piece of software can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country and let you watch your usual streaming services. The best VPN right now? We recommend Nord VPN – it does everything and comes with a 73% discount.
Not having a VPN is like leaving your front door wide open in a busy city – anyone can walk right in and take a peek.
Tech Radar regularly reviews all the biggest and best VPN providers and Nord VPN is our #1 choice.
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Get Nord VPN and stream 2026 NRL Magic Round games from anywhere.
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Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, Nord VPN is our favorite.
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Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the US and want to view your usual Australian service, you'd select a server in Australia from the list.
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Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your usual local streaming service and watch the footy.
How to watch NRL 2026 Magic Round live streams in the US
In the US, every NRL Magic Round game will be shown on Fox Sport. FS2 and Fox Soccer Plus will be showing the games.
Only bothered about the rugby? You can see every single game on the dedicated Watch NRL streaming platform, from $20 per week.
If you're traveling outside of the US, you can make use of Nord VPN to catch the action on any of the above services.
How to watch NRL Magic Round 2026 live streams in Canada
NRL Magic Round 2026 coverage goes out on Sportsnet in Canada, with three matches selected.
That means you can also watch online thanks to its Sportsnet+ streaming service (from
Thursday, May 14 Women's NRL - Maroons v Blues Women @ 10:35am ET
Sunday, May 17 Warriors vs Broncos @ 6:55am ET Panthers vs Dragons @ 9:15am ET
You can also use the Watch NRL platform which will show every single fixture.
How to watch NRL Magic Round 2026 live streams in the UK
NRL Magic Round 2026 in its entirety is covered by Sky Sports in the UK.
Sky Sports packages start from £20 per month or you can get a more flexible Now Sports membership starting from £14.99 for a day pass.
Alternatively, die-hard fans might want to check out Watch NRL, which costs £16 a week, £39 a month month or £143 for the whole season and will unlock access to every single NRL game of the 2026 season.
Outside the UK? You’ll might need to download a VPN, as detailed above, to watch your usual stream from abroad.
How to watch NRL Magic Round 2026 live streams in Australia
As mentioned above, three NRL Magic Round games are on free-to-air Channel 9 in Australia, with live streaming available via 9 Now.
If you're currently out of Australia but want to watch NRL live streams, you'll need to get yourself a VPN, as per the instructions above.
How to watch NRL Magic Round 2026 live streams in New Zealand
Sky Sport NZ is the NRL Magic Round rights holder in New Zealand, with some games going out on its free-to-access Sky Open channel.
You can access Sky Sport through satellite TV or get a live stream with the Sky Sport Now subscription service starting at
Overseas? Nord VPN will give you access to your home streaming service.
How to watch NRL Magic Round 2026 live streams in Rest of World
Every single match of the 2026 NRL Premiership season will be shown on the dedicated Watch NRL streaming platform, which is available in all territories except for Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and other selected sanctioned jurisdictions (e.g. Russia, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea). That includes the NRL Magic Round.
Subscriptions cost
Many countries also show games on TV and online through their domestic broadcasters:
NRL broadcast rights are held by ESPN Africa, which provides coverage to sub-Saharan countries including:
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo Democratic Republic, Congo Republic, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mauritania, Mayotte, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, St Helena, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zanzibar, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Sport 1 has the rights to show three NRL games per week in these countries
NRL coverage is available via be IN Sports in France, with three games per week.
ESPN holds the rights to the NRL in the Netherlands.
The Grand Final, State of Origin and three matches per week will be shown on Premier Sports Asia in the following countries:
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Sky Pacific has the rights to the 2026 NRL season in the following countries:
Fiji, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, American Samoa, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Pacific Islands (i.e. Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia)
Additionally, games will be shown in Papua New Guinea on the free TVWAN, in Samoa on TV3, in Tonga on Digicel, in the Cook Islands via Elijah Comm, and in the Solomons on TTV.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks vs. Canterbury Bulldogs at 6pm AEST - Foxtel, Kayo Sports
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs. Dolphins at 8pm AEST - Foxtel, Kayo Sports, Nine/9 Now
Wests Tigers v Manly Sea Eagles at 3.00pm AEST - Foxtel, Kayo Sports
Sydney Roosters v North Queensland Cowboys at 5.30pm AEST - Foxtel, Kayo Sports
Parramatta Eels v Melbourne Storm at 7.45pm AEST - Foxtel, Kayo Sports, Nine/9 Now
Gold Coast Titans v Newcastle Knights at 2.00pm AEST - Foxtel, Kayo Sports
New Zealand Warriors v Brisbane Broncos at 4.05pm AEST - Foxtel, Kayo Sports, Nine/9 Now
Penrith Panthers v St. George Illawarra Dragons at 6.25pm AEST - Foxtel, Kayo Sports
The vast majority of broadcasters mentioned in this article have streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or via your phone's browser. For example, Watch NRL, 9 Now, Fox One and Sky Go all have mobile apps.
You can also stay up-to-date with the latest NRL news on the official social media channels on X (@NRL), Instagram (nrl), Facebook (NRL) Tik Tok (@nrl) and You Tube (@NRL).
We test and review 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.
Andy Murray is an award-winning writer and columnist, voted the Consumer Journalist of the Year at the 2015 PPA New Talent Awards. A fluent Spanish speaker and former semi-professional footballer, he was senior staff writer of world-leading football magazine Four Four Two from 2012 to 2019 and continues to write and edit for them, national newspapers, websites, the Olympic Games and Premier League clubs.
An avid music lover since an existential introduction to The Bends by Radiohead aged 10, he has been a Glastonbury regular for decades and always lends an ear to the latest tech. For the past three years, he has tested products, subedited reviews and delved deep into the minutiae of VPNs for Tech Radar.
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