🏌️ 154th Open Championship
The Open 2026 — How to Watch
Royal Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside, England · 16–19 July 2026. Every round's UK & US TV coverage, tee-time windows and whether you can watch free on the BBC.
Countdown to first tee
How to Watch The Open 2026
In the UK, Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event carry every round live — they hold the exclusive UK live-TV rights. The BBC shows free daily highlights on BBC Two and iPlayer and free live radio commentary on 5 Live, but does not broadcast The Open live on TV. In the US, coverage runs across USA Network, NBC and Peacock.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Sky Sports GolfLive TV
Every shot, all four rounds live — the exclusive UK live TV home of The Open.
- Sky Sports Main EventLive TV
Simulcast of the main Open feed during peak hours.
- BBC Two / iPlayerFree
Free-to-air daily highlights each evening (no live TV — Sky holds live rights).
- BBC Radio 5 LiveFree radio
Free live ball-by-ball radio commentary across all four rounds.
🇺🇸 United States
- NBCLive TV
Weekend network coverage of Rounds 3 and 4.
- USA NetworkLive TV
Early and featured-window coverage across all four days.
- PeacockStream
Streams the early hours plus the NBC weekend simulcast.
Round-by-round schedule & TV times
All times UK (BST). Weekend tee times are set by the halfway cut.
- First tee
- 06:35
- UK live (Sky)
- Sky Sports Golf & Main Event, from 06:30
- UK free (BBC)
- BBC Two highlights (evening) + BBC Radio 5 Live
- US TV
- Peacock 01:30–04:00, then USA Network 04:00–15:30 (ET)
- First tee
- 06:35
- UK live (Sky)
- Sky Sports Golf & Main Event, from 06:30
- UK free (BBC)
- BBC Two highlights (evening) + BBC Radio 5 Live
- US TV
- Peacock 01:30–04:00, then USA Network 04:00–15:30 (ET)
Halfway cut applied after Round 2 — the top 70 and ties play the weekend.
- First tee
- Tee times set by Friday's leaderboard
- UK live (Sky)
- Sky Sports Golf from 09:00, Sky Sports Main Event from 11:00
- UK free (BBC)
- BBC Two highlights (evening) + BBC Radio 5 Live
- US TV
- USA Network 05:00–07:00, then NBC/Peacock 07:00–15:00 (ET)
"Moving Day" — pairings and tee times depend on the halfway cut.
- First tee
- 07:40
- UK live (Sky)
- Sky Sports Golf from 08:00, Sky Sports Main Event from 10:00
- UK free (BBC)
- BBC Two highlights (evening) + BBC Radio 5 Live
- US TV
- USA Network 04:00–07:00, then NBC/Peacock 07:00–14:00 (ET)
The Champion Golfer of the Year is crowned and lifts the Claret Jug.
The course: Royal Birkdale Golf Club
One of the most respected links on the rota, Royal Birkdale sits amid the towering dunes of the Merseyside coast. The 2026 Open is its 11th — a run that stretches back to 1954 and has produced a roll-call of great champions.
- Par
- 70
- Yardage
- 7,156
- Type
- Links
- Opens hosted
- 11th
The field — who to watch
Indicative pre-tournament outright odds, for orientation only.
- Scottie SchefflerDefending champion+550
- Rory McIlroy+850
- Tommy FleetwoodSouthport-born — local favourite+1400
- Jon Rahm+1900
- Matt Fitzpatrick+2000
- Xander Schauffele+2000
Odds are indicative and change constantly. 18+ · Please gamble responsibly (BeGambleAware.org).
Past champions at Royal Birkdale
| Year | Champion | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Jordan Spieth | USA |
| 2008 | Pádraig Harrington | Ireland |
| 1998 | Mark O'Meara | USA |
| 1991 | Ian Baker-Finch | Australia |
| 1983 | Tom Watson | USA |
| 1976 | Johnny Miller | USA |
| 1971 | Lee Trevino | USA |
| 1965 | Peter Thomson | Australia |
| 1961 | Arnold Palmer | USA |
| 1954 | Peter Thomson | Australia |
The Open 2026 — your questions
- Is The Open 2026 on the BBC?
- Not live on TV. The BBC shows free daily highlights on BBC Two and iPlayer and free live radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live. Live TV coverage of all four rounds is exclusive to Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event in the UK.
- How can I watch The Open 2026 live?
- In the UK, watch live on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event (from about 06:30 on Thursday and Friday). In the US, coverage runs across USA Network, NBC and Peacock.
- Where and when is The Open 2026?
- The 154th Open Championship is at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 July 2026.