Hey Lifehacker, I’m a complete sports nut currently living with crappy television reception that can’t be fixed. How can I watch State of Origin matches at home for free without a TV set up to receive free-to-air broadcasts? Thanks, Marooned
[credit provider=”Mark Kolbe/Getty Images” url=”http://gettyimages.com”]
Dear Marooned,
The short answer is; you can’t (at least not in a way that’s free, legal and live.) As you’d expect, Nine has locked up the rights to State of Origin because of the huge ratings it attracts. This year’s first game was the most watched television program of 2014 thus far, with more than four million people tuning in to watch the match live. You can expect tomorrow’s ratings to be even higher.
Naturally, the network doesn’t want to dilute its advertising cash cow via free streaming platforms. In other words, if you want to get State of Origin streamed live to your phone or tablet, you’re going to have to pay for the privilege.
Your best bet is Telstra’s NRL Digital Pass app. This gives you access to six live NRL matches per week, including State of Origin. The app costs $1.99 per week, or $89.95 for a full year. It’s compatible with iPhone, iPad, Android smartphones, Android tablets, PC and MAC laptop devices.
You can currently get a free two-week trial of the service when you sign up to either the yearly or weekly plan. If you’re only really interested in Origin, go for the weekly pass: you can opt out after the second game and then purchase another week during round three (which is scheduled for 9 July.) With the free trial activated, watching both games will set you back a grand total of $1.99, which isn’t too shabby. On the downside, the app apparently disables HDMI outputs while streaming content, which means you can’t hook the tablet up to your TV. Tch.
On a final note, don’t discount your local pub — while the drinks might be overpriced, the crowd atmosphere and big screen TV should more than make up for it. If any footy fans have additional suggestions, let Marooned know in the comments section below.
Cheers
Lifehacker
Got your own question you want to put to Lifehacker? Send it using our [contact text=”contact form”].
Comments
7 responses to “Ask LH: How Can I Stream The State Of Origin?”
Personally I’d hit up the pub. Couldn’t deal with watching it on a tiny tablet screen, would feel better off listening to it on the radio!
kajdfadjae fajfdadfajkd akja
watch state of origin 2014 live
watch here >>>>w.atch.me/tO5IcU
What about miracasting it? google chromecast?
Buy a TV tuner stick for your computer..
or buy/borrow an old set top box and hook it up to a monitor..
You’re missing the point of the post, it was that he is “living with crappy television reception” – a TV tuner stick is hardly going to be any better, and neither is the set top box.
Best bet is the $3.98 subscription or the local pub.
wiziwig.tv
Watch Here===w.atch.me/eZRswa
Watch Here===w.atch.me/eZRswa
Set up a VPN connect through sweden (or another country that doesn’t have a tv deal with NRL)and go to livestream site. All NRL games stream for free
I would assume that the disabling of HDMI is only for the app, and not on PC, right? So if you connect your TV to your computer using HDMI (or even VGA at a pinch, though sound won’t come through), you should be able to use your TV as an external monitor and watch it that way.
As for a couple of the sites mentioned by other commenters, although they can be an option, I have heard that the popup ads get very annoying, the streaming quality can be pretty awful and it can cut out at the most inconvenient times.
Find the place where they stream State of Origin in one of the outdoor areas on a big inflatable screen. Many sports clubs will do this!