Still buzzing from their big day at the MCG in September, the Brisbane Lions head into the 2025 AFL season as favorites to do it all over again — this year's Aussie rules premiership season runs from Thursday, March 6 until the Grand Final on Saturday, September 27.
You can watch a selection of AFL 2025 matches for FREE in Australia on the 7plus streaming service. But don't worry if you're on holiday while it's on, because you can watch AFL on from anywhere with a VPN.
The Sydney Swans may have topped last year's ladder, but the Lions and their Norm Smith medallist Will Ashcroft were just way too good on the day. After the disappointment of losing to Collingwood the previous year, the Queensland team roared their way to a first flag since the famous three-peat two decades before.
Co-holding the record for most titles, Collingwood and Carlton are among the favorites to compete this year (Essendon not so much), with Hawthorn also expected to do well to celebrate their centenary in the AFL/VFL after securing the services of Tom Barrass. While wooden spoon holders Richmond will be hopeful that their number-one draft pick Sam Lalor will help reverse their recent fortunes.
With the league's huge new broadcasting deal coming into action this year — including 23 Thursday primetime matches — the viewing picture for Aussie rules fans looks a little bit different this season. But below is all the information you need to live stream every game of the 2025 Australian Football League.
How to watch AFL 2025 in Australia for free
Although the AFL broadcasting picture in Australia is a slightly complicated one, the good news is that at least three games per game week (81 over the whole season) and the Grand Final will be shown for free thanks to the Seven Network and its 7plus streaming service.
To watch every single match, you'll need access to Fox or sports streaming specialist Kayo Sports. The latter has plans starting from $25 after a 7-day free trial or your first month for just one dollar.
Exact Aussie rules coverage varies from state to state, so we recommend double checking the AFL's own broadcast rights summary for more details.
How to watch AFL 2025 in the US
US-based Aussie rules football fans with cable can watch selected games on Fox.
That means they'll also available via most live TV streaming services. For example, Sling TV Blue features Fox in select areas and costs from $46 per month, while Fubo costs from $85 per month but includes Fox within its 200+ strong channel line-up and has a 7-day free trial.
Alternatively, you can opt to subscribe to the dedicated WatchAFL streaming platform and watch every single match in the 2025 season. Weekly, monthly and yearly plans are available, priced in Australian dollars — the equivalent USD cost is roughly $15 a week, $28 a month or $145 a year.
How to watch AFL 2025 in the UK
Australian Football League coverage in the UK is carried through TNT Sports, which is available via TV plans from Sky, BT, EE and Virgin.
Alternatively, you can access TNT Sports online by signing up to Discovery Plus Premium. The rolling monthly membership can be cancelled any time and costs £30.99 per month.
The other option is the WatchAFL streaming service, which shows every single game of the home-and-away season and finals. It costs around £12 a week, £22 a month or £110 a year (converted from Australian dollars).
How to watch AFL 2025 from anywhere with a VPN
If you're going to be away from your normal TV setup but still want to watch live AFL, you might run into some problems as your normal stream will almost certainly be geo-blocked. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to the AFL, your favorite sports and other content even if you're not there. Our favorite is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at NordVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
All you need to know about AFL 2025
When does the AFL start in 2025?
The 2025 AFL season's opening round starts on Thursday, March 6 with a match between Brisbane Lions vs Geelong at The Gabba.
Ahead of that there's a full round of official practice matches From February 25 to March 2.
Who are the teams in the Australian Football League premiership?
The 18 teams competing in the 2025 AFL premiership are:
Adelaide
Brisbane Lions
Carlton
Collingwood
Essendon
Fremantle
Geelong
Gold Coast
Greater Western Sydney
Hawthorn
Melbourne
North Melbourne
Port Adelaide
Richmond
St Kilda
Sydney
West Coast
Western Bulldogs
What is the opening round of AFL 2025?
Brisbane Lions vs Geelong: Thursday, March 6 — The Gabba
Sydney vs Hawthorn: Friday, March 7 — SCG
Gold Coast vs Essendon: Saturday, March 8 — People First Stadium
Greater Western Sydney vs Collingwood: Sunday, March 9 — Engie Stadium
How does the AFL season work?
Weekly fixtures see the 18 AFL teams play a total of 23 home-and-away matches, with the top eight in the ladder progressing through to the finals series.
The top four qualifiers playoff to see who will proceed straight to the preliminary finals, with 5-8 playing in the elimination finals.
The losing top seeds and elimination winners then play in the semi-finals, with the winners making the preliminary finals. The two winners of those games then head to the Grand Final at the MCG on September 27.
Who won the 2024 AFL?
The Brisbane Lions won their fourth AFL premiership in 2024, beating ladder toppers Sydney Swans in the Grand Final by 60 points.
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