The 2019 Australian Open finals are about to kick off this weekend, bringing two weeks of tennis under the hot Melbourne sun to a close. Here is how you can watch the games live and online, as well as what time they start.
For the purpose of brevity, we’re focusing on the Men’s and Women’s Singles finals here, which are by far the most popular matches. The Women’s final will be between Japan’s Naomi Osaka and the Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova, while the Men’s final will be between Spain’s Rafael Nadal and either Serbia’s Novak Djokovic or France’s Lucas Pouille. Djokovic and Pouille will battle it out for a place in the final no earlier than 7:30PM tonight.
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/01/how-to-watch-the-australian-open-2018-live-and-online-for-free/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/01/GettyImages-507523828-410×231.jpg” title=”Australian Open 2019: How To Watch Live, Online And Free” excerpt=”On Monday (January 14), one of the world’s biggest tennis events – the Australian Open – returns to the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. If you’re stuck at work when it’s all happening or don’t have access to free-to-air TV for whatever reason, we have you covered! Here’s how to watch the 2019 Australian Open from your desk or on your mobile phone for free.”]
Australian Open 2019 Final: When Is It On?
- The Australian Open Women’s Singles final starts at approximately 7:30PM on Saturday, 26 January.
- The Australian Open Men’s Singles final starts at approximately 7:30PM on Sunday, 27 January.
Australian Open 2019 Finals: How To Watch On Free-To-Air TV
Channel Nine is the exclusive TV broadcaster for the Australian Open. The finals will be shown on the network’s main channel.
Australian Open 2019 Final: How To Watch Online
Channel Nine will live stream the Australian Open finals on their Wide World of Sports website. You’ll be able to watch using a desktop PC, laptop, tablet or mobile phone, but you’ll need create a Nine account and log in to the site. Alternatively, you can sign up with your Facebook account.
If you do watch on your phone or SIM-equipped tablet, try to connect to Wi-Fi. Tennis matches typically go for hours, so streaming the whole thing will eat up a lot of data.
The minimum requirements for streaming on Nine’s Wide World of Sports website are as follows:
- You must be located in Australia.
- You must be using an authorised device, such as a computer, mobile phone or tablet.
- For smooth and clear streaming we recommend a minimum internet data speed of 3Mbps, though the higher the better.
You can also watch the finals through the Freeview FV mobile app, which streams free-to-air TV content to mobile devices for free.
Australian Open 2019 Final: How To Listen On The Radio
If you’re taking a road trip for the long weekend but want to stay up to date, you can listen to all the action like it’s 1919. The Australian Open website is once again running its own audio programme, dubbed “AO Radio”.
You can listen to live commentary on the AO Radio website, the official Australian Open iPhone and Android apps, or on Melbourne Park’s 99.7 FM radio station.
Australian Open 2019 Final: How To Watch Live
A few tickets to the Australian Open 2019 finals can still be purchased through Ticketek, but they’re selling out fast – click here to see what’s available. You could also try to buy some through a scalper or online reseller, but you’ll likely end up paying an exorbitant price.
You may prefer to hang on to your hard-earned cash, but that doesn’t mean you have to forgo the atmosphere of an excited crowd. Watching the game from a local pub will provide the camaraderie you’re searching for, as well as a cool drink or two. Just double check that your venue of choice is actually planning to show the tennis before you go.
Some pubs, particularly in Melbourne, even erect big outdoor screens. The GameOn live sports website has a comprehensive list of venues that are searchable by postcode. Find it here.
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