AFL Tonight: How to watch every Pre Season game live and free in 2026
By Jessica GonzalesUpdated
With the 2026 AFL Premiership Season set to run from 5 March - 26 September 2026, teams are firing up for the new campaign. Defending premiers Brisbane Lions, who defeated Geelong in the 2025 Grand Final, will be the ones to watch as the action kicks off.
It's now time to find out how your teams' AFL pre-season 2026 training efforts progressed, and perhaps more importantly, how competitors fare.
The AFL Pre-season provides a great opportunity to get a sneak peek of the upcoming season with a round of pre-season matches. Keep up to date and find out how to watch each and every game live right here.
AFL Tonight: Pre-Season TV and streaming guide
The 2026 Community Series, the official AFL pre-season, is set to kick off on February 25th and conclude on March 2nd. There will be a total of nine matches during this time, with every club participating in one game.
Each match in the Community Series will consist of four quarters lasting 20 minutes each, with additional time included, and teams will field 30 players, including 8 interchange players and 4 emergencies.
Fox Footy (Kayo/Foxtel): Every game, every round, live and ad-break free. Note that they have exclusive Saturday coverage nationally for at least the first 10 rounds (excluding the ANZAC game).
Seven / 7plus Sport: Now broadcasts an average of 3 matches per round (Thursday night, Friday night, and Sunday afternoon), including all marquee matches.
Grand Final: Remains exclusive to Seven and 7plus Sport.
Finals Series (Weeks 1-3): Available on both Seven/7plus Sport and Foxtel/Kayo.
Where to watch AFL Pre-season games in 2026
For those seeking information on which network or channel is airing AFL matches today, whether through free-to-air or a sports streaming service, our guide to AFL broadcast rights provides the most popular options.
Check the channel list below to see what games are being broadcast in the AFL tonight.
| Provider | AFL Preseason | Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Kayo Sports | Every Pre Season game shown LIVE | Yes - 7 day Free trial |
| Foxtel | Every Pre Season game shown LIVE | Yes - Foxtel Go app |
| Foxtel Now | Every Pre Season game shown LIVE | Yes - 10 day Free trial |
| Channel Seven / 7plus Sport | 3 matches per round (Reg. Season) | Yes - 7plus Sport (including Grand Final exclusivity) |
Is the AFL Pre Season live on TV tonight?
Every AFL Preseason game will air live on the Fox Footy channel (Kayo/Foxtel). There are no AFL Preseason games available on free-to-air, as Channel 7 did not acquire the broadcast rights for these matches.
To streamline the process, each new round of the 2026 Premiership season will be detailed in the fixtures below, including teams, dates, TV schedules, venues, as well as the streaming choices for today's game.
| AFL Pre-season | Date/Time (AEDT) | TV/Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Geelong vs Essendon | LIVE: Tues, 25 Feb, 7:10pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Richmond vs Collingwood | LIVE: Wed, 26 Feb, 7:10pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Hawthorn vs Western Bulldogs | LIVE: Thurs, 27 Feb, 5:20pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Brisbane Lions vs Adelaide | LIVE: Thurs, 27 Feb, 8:10pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| GWS Giants vs Carlton | LIVE: Fri, 28 Feb, 5:20pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Gold Coast Suns vs Sydney Swans | LIVE: Fri, 28 Feb, 8:10pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| St Kilda vs Port Adelaide | LIVE: Sat, 1 Mar, 3:10pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| West Coast Eagles vs North Melbourne | LIVE: Sat, 1 Mar, 6:10pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Fremantle vs Melbourne | LIVE: Sun, 2 Mar, 6:10pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
How to watch the 2026 AFL Preseason Live in Australia
Fortunately, there are several options for watching every official match of the 2026 AFL Pre-Season live in Australia, including Foxtel and Kayo Sports.
In this section, you will find a list of the providers who will be carrying these games live, and the features that make each of these choices unique.
Stream the AFL Preseason live with Kayo Sports
If you love Footy but have been hesitant to subscribe to Foxtel because of its higher cost, then Kayo is one alternative to consider.
For less money, you can receive everything that Foxtel has to offer when it comes to live sports, and it's all available on a streaming service with an impressive variety of features.
In fact, Kayo Sports gives you access to the same AFL broadcasts as Fox Footy (every game of every round LIVE with no ad-breaks during play), and it currently offers a 7-day free trial for new customers.
Kayo does not have a lock-in contract or equipment fees, which means you can cancel anytime if you are no longer using it. All you need is to decide between the Kayo Standard vs Premium plan.
Devices available to Kayo users include select PCs, Macs, iOS and Android phones, tablets, Smart TV's, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 & 5, Amazon Fire Stick and more.
For fans who want to catch up on the action after the live action have concluded, Kayo Minis provide a 10-20 minute recap that can be accessed on-demand.
Other Kayo features include Interactive Graphics, No Spoilers and Key Moments, which provide highlights throughout matches in real-time.
There's also picture-in-picture video, SplitView, in case you want to watch two or three games at the same time. Depending on the sport, there are multiple camera angles that are available, and match statistics that can be accessed in real time.
Watch the AFL Preseason live online with Foxtel Now
Every AFL Pre-season game is exclusive to the Fox Footy channel, and can be accessed via Foxtel and Foxtel Now.
To watch on Foxtel with a Standard or HD TV, you have several choices, including subscribing to the Foxtel Plus pack to access over 50 channels of entertainment, drama, lifestyle, docos, reality, and more.
You also have the option to watch the AFL Pre-season live online using Foxtel Now, which currently comes with a 10-day free trial offer.
Foxtel Now is available to use on a range of compatible devices, including Smart TVs, mobile phones and tablets, game consoles and computers. You can also stream AFL games when you're not at home using the Foxtel Go mobile app.
Fox Fox Footy comes as part of the Foxtel Now Sports Pack ($29 per month) which can only be purchased on top of an Essentials Pack ($25 per month) after a free trial.
It's also important to note that there's no lock-in contract or equipment fees, so you're free to quit or pause your subscription at any time.
