The Rolex Sydney To Hobart Yacht Race ranks alongside the Melbourne Cup and Boxing Day Test Match as one the biggest sporting events on the Australian sporting calendar, and the 2023 edition will be no different.
Here in 2023 there’s a number of yachts jostling for favouritism, so it’s shaping up to be a thrilling race, and you can watch every key moment of this prestigious event as well as other popular Boxing Day sport live from the comfort of your home using the information below.
Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023
The first Sydney To Hobart Yacht Race, also known as the Bluewater Classic, took place in 1945 and had just nine starters. The winner of the race was Rani, who covered the course in just a tick over six and a half days.
Fast forward to 2005 and Wild Oats Xl took just 42 hours. That number has been even further reduced since – in 2016, Perpetual LOYAL broke the previous record by close to five hours only to have that record beaten by four hours the following year by LDV Comanche, who completed the race in just 33 hours.
Here in 2023 the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, the race organizers, celebrated the admission of 10 foreign yachts—including 18 two-handed entries—into this year’s fleet of 103 vessels on Friday. The ten come from New Zealand, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, and New Caledonia.
When is the the Sydney to Hobart race live on TV today?
An historic agreement between the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) and the Seven Network ensures the famous Boxing Day broadcast of the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race will remain an Australian tradition for years to come.
Under the new agreement, channel Seven will remain the exclusive broadcaster of the race start across the country until 2023, which is good news for a peak audience of more than 1.5 million viewers that tuned into last year’s event.
One of the largest fields in the event’s history will take to Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day for the start of the historic 78th edition. Channel Seven’s 2023 coverage of the race will be hosted by Mark Beretta who is a veteran of 32 Sydney Hobart races, and Comanche’s 2017 winning skipper Jimmy Spithill.
To help bring viewers an up close look at the excitement of this iconic moment, Seven will have cameras on-board previous line-honours winners Wild Oats XI and Comanche.
ABC TV will also be following the fleet down the eastern coastal and provide all the in-race update footage that is used by the various Australian and International news networks.
Sydney To Hobart Race Live TV Times
| Live TV (AEDT) | Where | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday Dec 26: 12:30pm – 2.00pm | Sydney Harbour, Sydney | 7Mate / 7Plus |
| Tuesday, Dec 26: In Race Updates | Eastern Seaboard | ABC TV |
When is the Boxing Day Test live on TV today in Australia?
The Summer of Cricket is fully underway and there is nothing quite like the Boxing Day Cricket Match at the MCG. Close to 100,000 people will flock to the iconic sports ground for the first day of one of the great events of Australian sport.
Traditionally Australia have an outstanding record in this game, regardless of the opponent or their form leading-up, but the South African side head into this series in good form and will provide a stern Test for the home team.
| Matches | Date/Time (AEDT) | Live Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Australia v Pakistan 2nd Test Day 1 | Tues, 26 Dec, 10:30am – 6:00pm | Seven / Foxtel / Kayo |
| South Africa v India 1st Test Day 1 | Tues, 26 Dec, 6:50pm – 11:00pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Australia v Pakistan 2nd Test Day 2 | Wed, 27 Dec, 10:30am – 6:00pm | Seven / Foxtel / Kayo |
| South Africa v India 1st Test Day 2 | Wed, 27 Dec, 6:50pm – 11:00pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Australia v Pakistan 2nd Test Day 3 | Thu, 28 Dec, 10:30am – 6:00pm | Seven / Foxtel / Kayo |
| South Africa v India 1st Test Day 3 | Thu, 28 Dec, 6:50pm – 11:00pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Australia v Pakistan 2nd Test Day 4 | Fri, 29 Dec, 10:30am – 6:00pm | Seven / Foxtel / Kayo |
| Australia v Pakistan 2nd Test Day 5 | Sat, 30 Dec, 10:30am – 6:00pm | Seven / Foxtel / Kayo |
How to watch 2023 Boxing Day sport live in Australia
Boxing day is a traditional day for sport in Australia, with the annual Test Match and Sydney to Hobart yacht race leading an exciting all day line-up. While you can watch both of these features on free to air Channel Seven, the majority of the remaining sport fixtures for the day are available exclusively on Foxtel, Foxtel from Telstra and Kayo Sports streaming.
Fortunately, in addition to having live coverage of the key Boxing Day sport, both Foxtel Now and Kayo Sports currently offers new subscribers a free trial.
Foxtel Now’s free trial is good for 10 days, and is available to use with a plethora of devices, while the sports streaming service Kayo’s free trial offering is good for a full 7 days.
Additional Live Boxing Day Sport on Australian TV
| Event | Date/Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| NBA: New York Knicks v Milwaukee Bucks | Tues, 26 Dec, 4:00 am | Foxtel/Kayo |
| NFL: KC Chiefs vs Los Vegas Raiders | Tues, 26 Dec, 5:00 am | Foxtel/Kayo |
| NBA: Denver Nuggets vs GS Warriors | Tues, 26 Dec, 6:30 am | Foxtel/Kayo |
| NFL: Philly Eagles v NY Giants | Tues, 26 Dec, 8:30 am | Foxtel/Kayo |
| NBA: LA Lakers v Boston Celtics | Tues, 26 Dec, 9:00 am | Foxtel/Kayo |
| NBA: Miami Heat v Philly 76ers | Tues, 26 Dec, 12:00 pm | Foxtel/Kayo |
| NFL: San Fran 49ers v Baltimore Ravens | Tues, 26 Dec, 12:15 pm | Foxtel/Kayo |
| NBA: Phoenix Suns v Dallas Mavericks | Mon, 26 Dec, 2:30 pm | Foxtel/Kayo |
| BBL: Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars | Tues, 26 Dec, 6:00 pm | Foxtel/Kayo/Seven |
| NBL: Cairns Taipans v Perth Wildcats | Tues, 26 Dec, 7:30 pm | Foxtel/Kayo |
| BBL: Scorchers v Renegades | Tues, 26 Dec, 9:10 pm | Foxtel/Kayo/Seven |
Watch live sport online with Foxtel Now
One option to watch all the available sport on Boxing Day is with Foxtel or Foxtel Now. The Foxtel Now streaming service offers access to all the sport on Foxtel via their Sports Pack.
That means that you get access to all the live and on-demand sports Foxtel has to offer, including the other leagues, matches and events taking place for that month.
To start you can check it out with a 10-day free trial, after which you will need to pay for both the Sports Pack and the Essentials Pack, as the two products come as a team. In addition to being internet-connected, Foxtel Now also includes the option to stream live sports using the Foxtel Go app when you’re away from home
Stream sports live with Kayo
With Kayo you will have access to the same sports broadcasts as Foxtel, and can stream all the available sport to eligible devices and browsers. For fans who want to catch up on the late-night or early-morning action, Kayo Minis provide a condensed match recap after the play has concluded.
Other Kayo features include Interactive Graphics, SplitView, No Spoilers, and Key Moments, which provide highlights throughout the matches in real-time.
Best of all, if you’re a brand new prospective customer to Kayo Sports, you can take advantage of a 7-day free trial period, allowing you to watch your favourite events for free, as well as the rest of the content on their service.
Kayo doesn’t have a lock-in contract or equipment fees, which means you can cancel anytime if you’re no longer using it. If you want to check out Kayo after your trial is over simply choose between the Basic or Premium plans.
