As the biggest tournament on the calendar of one of Australia’s most loved games, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is set to take the nation by storm over the course of seven weeks, beginning May 30. And with Australia having owned the event for much of this century, fans around the country will want to enjoy as much of the action as possible.
Fortunately, the relatively recent development of sports streaming in Australia means that there will be more ways to watch this tournament than ever before. From Kayo Sports to Foxtel Now to regular old free to air TV, you’ll never be left without a way to tune into the big match, and we’re here to help you decide just which is going to be the best option for you as we head into the event.
Streaming the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in Australia
Just a few short years ago, it was a pipedream for most to stream any sport in Australia – at least legally – let alone the entirety of the Cricket World Cup. But sports streaming has come a long way in a short period of time – first it was Telstra offering streaming on selected sports, albeit only on a tiny screen. Then Foxtel Now came along, giving subscribers access to the array of sport offered by Foxtel on a number of different devices – not just the big screen TV.
And with its arrival, Kayo Sports is offering a whole new ball game, launching a streaming platform the likes of which we’d never seen before in Australia – one dedicated solely to sports. Now, thanks to Kayo, streaming the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is anything but a pipedream. It’s a reality, and one which will allow you to watch more of the biggest tournament in cricket than ever before.
The Content
There is a significant difference in terms of what you’ll get access to across the three different platforms on which you can stream the World Cup – Kayo Sports, Foxtel Now, and 9Now. While 9Now’s coverage will be limited to select games, Kayo and Foxtel Now will offer every game live, in High Definition, and available on demand.
Cricket World Cup on Kayo Sports
Kayo Sports will have comprehensive coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, airing every single delivery of every single match live and on-demand. That’s 45 matches throughout the Group Stage, as well as the two semi-finals and the final for a total of 48 Cricket World Cup games over seven weeks. The games will also be available as Kayo Minis, the unique bite-sized way of catching up with an entire game in under 30 minutes. It’s a great way to get across all the games in the World Cup, and it’s exclusive to Kayo.
Plus, you’ll get access to all the cricket shows and documentaries that are on Kayo to supplement the plethora of matches you’ll be watching. Whether it’s the likes of Cricket 360 keeping you on top of everything from the tournament, or one of their range of cricket specials and documentaries, Kayo has you covered for all things cricket.
And of course, when you subscribe to Kayo to watch all the World Cup action, you’ll also be able to watch more than 50 other sports available on the streaming platform. Be it the AFL, NRL, motorsports, golf, tennis or anything else that you love to watch, it’s all available on Kayo Sports.
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Watch every game from every round of the NRL season + International Tests with a monthly no contract plan.
Cricket World Cup on Foxtel Now
Like Kayo Sports, Foxtel Now will be airing all of the action from the ICC Cricket World Cup. That’s every delivery of every game live, in High Definition and available on demand to ensure you can stay in the loop throughout the event. Add in the same great range of shows and documentaries that you’ll find on Kayo Sports, and cricket lovers will have everything they could possibly ask for with Foxtel Now.
Getting access to all this will require you to subscribe to the Sports Combo Pack, which is only available after you first purchase one of the base packs. This means that not only will you be able to tune into all of the World Cup, but you’ll also get access to a huge range of other sports as well as plenty of great entertainment.
Cricket World Cup on 9Now
Channel Nine is the official free-to-air broadcaster of the ICC Cricket World Cup, meaning 9Now will be the free streaming alternative for the tournament. However, coverage will be significantly more limited. Every Australian game will be available for streaming on 9Now, as will six other Group matches and the three finals, and that’s it. That means that of the 48 games throughout the World Cup, just 16 will be available through this platform, just one-third of the total games and significantly less matches than you’ll find on Kayo Sports and Foxtel Now.
Ways to Watch
Each of the listed streaming options offer a number of different ways for you to tune in. These different options are key, as after all, the very idea of streaming the World Cup is the greater flexibility it gives you, and the more ways to watch, the more flexibility you have.
How to Stream Live with Kayo
Kayo has made it as easy as possible to stream the World Cup as well as all the other sports they offer, with apps available for virtually everything imaginable and the ability to stream direct to plenty of other devices. You can stream directly to your PC or Mac using any of Safari, Firefox or Chrome, with the latter offering ability to cast the coverage onto your big screen TV with Chromecast. Plus, there are great apps for iOS and Android phones and tablets, as well as for Apple TV (both current models), Telstra TV and Android TV.
Devices supported on Kayo
- PC/Mac: Yes – MacOS 10.12+ (Chrome, Safari, Firefox) & Windows 10 (Chrome, Firefox, Edge); web browser only
- iOS/Android Phones/Tablets: Yes – Via native apps (iOS 15+ and Android 8+)
- Google Chromecast: Yes – Chromecast Ultra, 3rd Generation
and Chromecast with Google TV for optimal streaming. SplitView not available - Apple TV: Yes – tvOS 11+, 4th Generation or higher. Casting available to previous models
- Telstra TV: Yes – TTV1, TTV2 and TTV3. SplitView not available; Telstra TV1 limited to 720p.
- Amazon Fire TV Stick – Yes
- Google TV: Yes – OS 8.0+
- Android TV: Yes – Via
app for version 8.0 andup on the following devices: Xiaomi Mi Box, Asus Nexus Player, NVIDIA SHIELD, Sony BRAVIA™ and select models of Hisense, Kogan, Mecool, Panasonic, Philips, Sharpand TCL - Samsung Smart TVs: Yes – 2017 and later models. SplitView not available
- LG TV: Yes – 2018 models or later using WebOS 4 and above. LG Netcast TV’s or via LG TV’s Web Browser Application not available.
- Hisense Smart TV: Select 2019 – 2023 models
- Gaming Consoles: Yes – PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
How to Watch Online with Foxtel Now
Like Kayo, Foxtel Now offers a wide range of different devices to make it easy for you to stream the Cricket World Cup on the go. You can stream in High Definition through apps which are available for iOS, Android, Playstation 4, Telstra TV, as well as Foxtel Now’s own streaming box. You can also use Chromecast to cast from your phone or tablet to your big screen or to an Apple TV via AirPlay, or you can tune in to the action on your Mac or PC using Google Chrome and Safari.
FeaturedDevices supported on Foxtel Now
- Foxtel Now Box: Yes
- Sony Android TV: Yes – OS Android 8 – Android 12
- iOS Mobiles/Tablets: Yes – Via Foxtel Go app (iOS 9.35 or above)
- Android Mobiles/Tablets: Yes – Via
native app (Lollipop 5.0 or above) - PC/Mac: Yes – Windows devices running Windows 7 and above. Mac devices running OS X Yosemite 10.10 and above
- Google Chromecast: Yes – Via casting
- Google Nest: Yes – on Foxtel Go via a compatible Chromecast device connected or built-in to your TV
- Apple TV: Yes – Via AirPlay
- Telstra TV: Yes – All models
- Gaming consoles: Yes – PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro (Foxtel Play on PlayStation 3)
- Samsung Smart TVs: Yes – Select 2017 models and above, running on Tizen 3.0 or above. (Foxtel Play on 2015 and 2016 models)
- LG Smart TVs: Yes – Select 2017-2022 models, running webOS 3.5 or above
- Hisense Smart TVs: Yes – Select 2019 – 2020 models
- Shield TV: Yes – on Shield TV and Shield TV Pro
Streaming on 9Now
Not wanting to be left out of the race, Channel Nine has also developed an extensive list of ways to watch to give you plenty of options for streaming the 18 games which they’ll broadcast. You can watch on Apple iPhones and iPads (iOS 10+), as well as Android phones and tablets (5.0+), while Macs and PCs can be used for streaming when using Google Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge. And if you’d prefer the action on your big screen, you’ve got the option of using any of Apple TV, Telstra TV, Fetch TV, smart TVs like Sony TV, LG TV, Samsung TV, plus Freeview Plus, Playstation 4, or Chromecast.
Key Features
All three of these platforms have a range of different features, giving you a unique experience depending on which one you choose to use. Kayo has certainly made itself a leader in this regard, with a number of great features which will enhance your viewing experience.
Kayo Sports’ Unique Features
As the newest of these three platforms, Kayo has burst onto the scene with an array of features not available with any alternative streaming services. Perhaps the most important for the ICC World Cup is the Cricket Minis feature, which sees Kayo expertly condense a 50-over match into just 15-30 minutes. Considering every game will extend into the early hours of the morning and it will be hard to tune into their entirety, this will be an ideal way to catch up on the goings-on from the evening prior and enable you to keep on top of every match.
But that’s not all. If you want to watch two matches at the same time, or catch another important sporting event while you’re watching the World Cup, Kayo’s SplitView features lets you watch up to four different things on the one screen. And if you want to catch all the action the next day, simply flick on No Spoilers when watching on demand to ensure you don’t prematurely see the scores. Finally, the Key Moments feature highlights the all the boundaries and wickets from throughout the game so you can fast forward to the most important bits, ideal for an extended event like a 50-over cricket match.
Foxtel Now Features
Foxtel Now certainly doesn’t have the depth of special features that are present on Kayo Sports, but the platform does have a familiar and easy to use interface which makes switching between the cricket and whatever else it is that you want to watch as straightforward as it can be. And if you want to watch a game which has already been played, just head to the on demand section to catch up at your own pace.
9Now Features
Using 9Now is relatively simple – all you need to do is create a free account, and you’ll have virtually everything aired on Channel 9, including the ICC Cricket World Cup, at your fingertips. In terms of features, however, pickings are relatively slim. You’ll be able to tune into the available matches on eligible devices, but that’s about it, with no extra features of note included from 9Now.
Cost Comparison
Each of these choices comes in at a significantly different price point to the others. Kayo keeps it simple. For all the sport you can dream of, including every game of the World Cup, you’ll pay $25/month if you want to be able to watch on two devices simultaneously, and $35/month if you want three. For sports lovers, the Kayo streaming plans are an absolute bargain, and is a great alternative for those who want all the World Cup action they can handle and more without all the extras that come alongside Foxtel Now.
Foxtel Now requires you to first sign up to the Essentials pack before you add the sport, and when the two are combined you’ll end up with plenty of channels, but a $54 bill each month that you enjoy the service. Of the three options it’s easily the most expensive, but also offers the most content.
9Now, of course, as a platform from free to air broadcaster Channel Nine, is free of charge, but as a result is relatively limited. The bells and whistles of Kayo are absent as are the majority of matches from the World Cup, but if you only want to tune into the occasional match from the tournament and aren’t particularly interested in sports otherwise, it certainly has its merits.
The Verdict
Each of these platforms has its pros and cons. Foxtel Now is a terrific option for many, and for those who are after a range of great television and sport to go with their Cricket World Cup offering, this is an option well and truly worth considering.
Free-to-air platform 9Now is significantly more limited than both Foxtel Now and Kayo Sports. Of course, it’s difficult to complain about a free service, but if you’re a genuine fan of cricket or any of the array of other sports offered by the other two providers, you’re far better off subscribing to one of those.
Kayo Sports, with all of the great features that come with it, including every game of the Cricket World Cup live and on demand to go with over 50 other sports, and an extremely generous price point considering what it offers, is likely the pick of the bunch for many cricket lovers. Kayo has so much on offer, it’s revolutionising the way we watch sport, and will be the ideal option for many wanting to tune into the Cricket World Cup.
Stream Live and Free!
If you’re still not sure which option is right for you, you also have the option to check each of them out without paying a cent. 9Now, as mentioned, doesn’t cost any money anyway, but both Foxtel Now (10 days) and Kayo Sports offer free trials (14 days) to let you try before you buy.
Cricket World Cup Live Aussie TV: Full Schedule
Shown as Sydney time, adjust for regional differences. Due to licensing agreement the Cricket World Cup free to air TV coverage on Nine is limited to select matches, while both Foxtel and Kayo Sports will broadcast Live, and in HD, every fixture on the 2019 ICC World Cup schedule.
| Date | Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 30 May | England v South Africa | 7.30pm | GEM / Foxtel / Kayo |
| Friday 31 May | West Indies v Pakistan | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday 1 June | New Zealand v Sri Lanka | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday 1 June | Australia v Afghanistan | 10.30pm | Nine / Foxtel / Kayo |
| Sunday 2 June | South Africa v Bangladesh | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Monday 3 June | England v Pakistan | 7.30pm | GEM / Foxtel / Kayo |
| Tuesday 4 June | Afghanistan v Sri Lanka | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Wednesday 5 June | South Africa v India | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Wednesday 5 June | Bangladesh v New Zealand | 10.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Thursday 6 June | Australia v West Indies | 7.30pm | Nine / Foxtel / Kayo |
| Friday 7 June | Pakistan v Sri Lanka | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday 8 June | England v Bangladesh | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday 8 June | Afghanistan v New Zealand | 10.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Sunday 9 June | India v Australia | 7.30pm | Nine / Foxtel / Kayo |
| Monday 10 June | South Africa v West Indies | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Tuesday 11 June | Bangladesh v Sri Lanka | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Wednesday 12 June | Australia v Pakistan | 7.30pm | Nine / Foxtel / Kayo |
| Thursday 13 June | India v New Zealand | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Friday 14 June | England v West Indies | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday 15 June | Sri Lanka v Australia | 7.30pm | Nine / Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday 15 June | South Africa v Afghanistan | 10.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Sunday 16 June | India v Pakistan | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Monday 17 June | West Indies v Bangladesh | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Tuesday 18 June | England v Afghanistan | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Wednesday 19 June | New Zealand v South Africa | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Thursday 20 June | Australia v Bangladesh | 7.30pm | Nine / Foxtel / Kayo |
| Friday 21 June | England v Sri Lanka | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday 22 June | India v Afghanistan | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday 22 June | West Indies v New Zealand | 10.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Sunday 23 June | Pakistan v South Africa | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Monday 24 June | Bangladesh v Afghanistan | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Tuesday 25 June | England v Australia | 7.30pm | Nine / Foxtel / Kayo |
| Wednesday 26 June | New Zealand v Pakistan | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Thursday 27 June | West Indies v India | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Friday 28 June | Sri Lanka v South Africa | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday 29 June | Pakistan v Afghanistan | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday 29 June | New Zealand v Australia | 10.30pm | Nine / Foxtel / Kayo |
| Sunday 30 June | England v India | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Monday 1 July | Sri Lanka v West Indies | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Tuesday 2 July | Bangladesh v India | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Wednesday 3 July | England v New Zealand | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Thursday 4 July | Afghanistan v West Indies | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Friday 5 July | Pakistan v Bangladesh | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday 6 July | Sri Lanka v India | 7.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday 6 July | Australia v South Africa | 10.30pm | Nine / Foxtel / Kayo |
| Tuesday 9 July | Semi Finals 1st vs 4th | Nine / Foxtel / Kayo | |
| Thursday 11 July | Semi Finals 2nd vs 3rd | Nine / Foxtel / Kayo | |
| Sunday 14 July | Cricket World Cup Final | Nine / Foxtel / Kayo |
