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How to watch every 2021 AFL game live online: TV and streaming options

Your guide to watching AFL matches your way in what looms as another fascinating season.

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Chris Stead

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James Dampney
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The coronavirus pandemic caused chaos for world sport in 2020 and the AFL was no exception. The league was forced to play a reduced 17-game schedule, ultimately won again by Richmond. It was the Tigers' third flag in the past four years.

Thankfully the competition is reverting back to its 23-round schedule in 2021. Once again the draw is being confirmed in batches rather than in full at the start of the campaign. You have a number of options for following all the action.

Footy fans can catch their favourite teams online via AFL live streams, whether they choose to watch with Foxtel, Kayo Sports or the AFL Live Pass. No matter where you are or who's hogging the TV, all the footy you could ever want is just a tap away.

This week's fixtures

Date Match Venue Start time (AEST) How to watch
Friday ,6 August Geelong Cats v GWS Giants GMHBA Stadium, VIC 5:00 PM Kayo Sports, Foxtel
Saturday ,7 August Carlton Blues v Gold Coast Suns Marvel Stadium, VIC 10:00 AM Kayo Sports, Foxtel
Saturday ,7 August Richmond Tigers v North Melbourne Kangaroos MCG,VIC 2:20 PM Kayo Sports, Foxtel
Saturday ,7 August St Kilda Saints v Sydney Swans Marvel Stadium, VIC 5:10 PM Kayo Sports, Foxtel
Saturday ,7 August Adelaide Crows v Port Adelaide Power Adelaide Oval, SA 5:30 PM Kayo Sports, Foxtel
Sunday ,8 August Hawthorn Hawks v Collingwood Magpies MCG,VIC 12:00 PM Kayo Sports, Foxtel
Sunday ,8 August Western Bulldogs v Essendon Bombers Marvel Stadium, VIC 1:00 PM Kayo Sports, Foxtel
Sunday ,8 August Fremantle Dockers v Brisbane Lions Optus Stadium, WA 3:00 PM Kayo Sports, Foxtel
Monday ,9 August West Coast Eagles v Melbourne Demons Optus Stadium, WA 6:00 PM Kayo Sports, Foxtel

Live stream every AFL game on Kayo: 14-day free trial

How to watch the 2021 AFL season

The new season commenced with all teams chasing Richmond once more. Every game of this year's home-and-away campaign is available live and on demand via the options below.

Watch AFL live on free-to-air television

If you're a casual footy fan, free-to-air coverage might be enough to satisfy your cravings. Channel Seven has the broadcast rights to between three and five matches per week. The matches you can see varies significantly from state to state. The free-to-air broadcaster will generally show a Thursday or Friday night game, then a handful of matches over the weekend.

You can keep an eye on the broadcast guide from the AFL website to find out which fixtures will be available on free-to-air. The Seven Network also shows every match from the finals series live nationally, including the grand final.

Can you stream AFL on 7plus?

No. There is some sport content on 7plus, but you cannot watch AFL live on the Internet through the 7plus app. The rights to AFL live streaming belong to Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

How to stream AFL on Kayo Sports

Kayo Sports has access to all of the FOX SPORTS channels, along with two ESPN channels and three beIN SPORTS channels. That means subscribers can stream every match of the Toyota AFL Premiership live, with replays also available. The same goes for the finals series. The only exception is the grand final, which is shown exclusively on free-to-air. A replay of the big match will be available to Kayo users shortly after the final siren.

Kayo also offers live coverage of the 2021 Community Series pre-season fixtures, Under-18 Championship and the NAB Rising Star Award Ceremony. There are also a host of magazine shows, including pre- and post-match analysis, entertainment programming, panel discussions and interviews.

Stream Kayo Sports for 14 days FREE and no lock-in contract

Take Kayo Sports' Basic or Premium plan for a spin and stream over 50 sports live completely free for 14 days.

Get deal

The Kayo app delivers live HD streams and works with a wide range of devices, including Mac, PC, iOS, Android, Chromecast, Apple TV, Android TV, Telstra TV, Sony Bravia TV's and Samsung TV (2017 models and later). There are 2 price points: $25 and $35 per month for 2 and 3 simultaneous streams respectively. Regardless of which option you choose, there’s a 14-day free trial for new customers.

Other than its significantly cheaper price, what separates Kayo Sports from the other streaming options on this list is its sport-specific viewing features. This includes a picture-in-picture mode, SplitView (allowing four sports to be watched at once), hide scores, jump to Key Moments, match centre and more.

New features are constantly being added, too, such as RaceView for motorsport, with three cameras to select from. You can see some of these features in action on the video below and read about them in our comprehensive review.

Watch AFL on Foxtel iQ

Foxtel broadcasts every match of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season live on Fox Footy, with the exception of the grand final. You’ll need a Foxtel subscription with the Sports HD pack to join in the fun. Once that’s done, you can stream AFL matches on your laptop or mobile device with the Foxtel GO app, which is available for free to Foxtel iQ subscribers.

You simply need to download the app from Google Play or the App Store and enter your Foxtel ID. You’ll instantly have access to all the channels you’re subscribed to. If you want to stream on a computer, go to the Foxtel website and check out the Foxtel GO page.

Foxtel iQ is $74 per month in order to access the sports channels and HD. This is because it includes the set-top box, its installation, non-sports channels and additional features such as 4K support (when you watch on your TV, not streamed) and recording. You need the Sports HD pack ($25/month) plus the Foxtel Plus package ($49/month).

Watch AFL on Foxtel Now

Don’t want to get cable? You can keep up with AFL matches via Foxtel Now. Fox Footy is available in the Sport pack, priced at $29/month. This is a Premium pack though, so you also need to get the Essentials pack to have access to it. This includes Pop and Lifestyle channels and costs $25/month, bringing your total monthly cost up to $54.

Foxtel Now is available on various devices, including PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Chromecast, AirPlay, PS4, Telstra TV and the Foxtel Now box. New customers get a 10-day free trial.

Note: None of the advanced sports viewing features seen on Kayo Sports are available through Foxtel GO or Foxtel Now. These are exclusive to Kayo Sports.

10-day free trial of Foxtel Now

No installation and no lock-in contract. New customers only. Sign up now.

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Stream AFL matches from outside Australia

If you’re outside Australia when your favourite team is playing, you can still stream AFL matches live or on demand with Watch AFL. The platform is only available outside the country and comes with three subscription options. A weekly pass costs $19, a monthly subscription is $33 and a membership for an entire year is available for $189. During the finals, the weekly pass rises to $25 or you can get the entire finals series for $85.

It's a neat way of doing it, allowing you to navigate around work trips or family holidays depending on their length and frequency.

Travelling abroad? Watch the entire AFL season live

Travelling abroad? Watch the entire AFL season live from Watch AFL

If you're out of the country, streaming Aussie rules football can be a bit of a pain. For those travelling the globe, there's Watch AFL.

View details

You can watch on your laptop on the Watch AFL website or download the app to your mobile device. Watch AFL is also compatible with Chromecast, AirPlay and Apple TV.

Where can I watch AFL live games online for free?

There is no legal way to watch AFL games online for free for the entire season. However, you can pick your moment and strike with the Kayo Sports 14-day free trial. This gives you two weekend's worth of AFL live coverage streamed to almost any device. Signing up and cancelling is instant, quick and hassle-free. Plus, it's Kayo Sports that has all the brilliant sports viewing features that really make the experience shine.

Did Amazon make an AFL documentary based on the 2020 season?

Yes. It was revealed in February last year that Amazon was investing $10 million in an AFL documentary series. You can see all the viewing details for the seven-part series here. It features some incredible stories across six teams in the 2020 season, including the controversial decision by GWS coach Leon Cameron to drop his captain and star midfielder Stephen Coniglio.

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Picture: Neale Cousland/Shutterstock

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