BBL 2025/26 Updates & Changes
There’s plenty to keep T20 fans on their toes in the upcoming BBL season. We might not know how it'll play out, but we know it won’t be a re-run of last year! We can be sure of fresh strategies and surprising lineups to follow.
Will it pay off? It’s hard to say right now. But what we can say is that these BBL updates and changes will be sure to take BBL cricket to a whole new level in 2025/26:
- Brisbane Heat nabbed Shaheen Shah Afridi. This is a huge addition as he was the No.1 overall pick in the overseas draft.
- The Melbourne Renegades took Mohammad Rizwan in the overseas draft, too.
- Ravichandran Ashwin made a surprise signing with Sydney Thunder. This also makes him the first Indian male to join the BBL.
- Mitchell Starc is coming back from 11 years away to play for the Sydney Sixers.
- Finn Allen is a pre-signed Platinum for Perth Scorchers.
- Hobart Hurricanes have picked up Chris Jordan and Rishad Hossain, among others.
These changes dramatically change the outlook for 2026. The only way to get a blow-by-blow account of the next BBL season and follow every second of action is to watch BBL games live and on demand on Kayo Sports and Foxtel Now, where you can stream BBL on any device!
Introducing the New Overseas Pre-Signing Model
BBL teams and their fans have been crying out for more squad building time for a while now. It seems the BBL has noticed, because they’ve made a few tweaks which should make it easier to secure and merge newer signings.
For starters, the draft has been moved earlier to mid-June, which definitely gives teams a little more certainty and time to prepare. Crucially, they’re also allowed to pre-sign one overseas player before the draft (though that player still must be officially selected via the draft under their salary band). Each BBL team must also draft at least three overseas players across different salary bands.
This, along with a sprinkling of other minor changes, might not affect the fans’ viewing experience all that much, but it will certainly affect the teams’ ability to build and refine their squads - and give fans like you the best possible cricket experience!
Don't worry about missing out on the fun. There are loads of ways to watch BBL live and on demand. Head over to Kayo Sports or Foxtel Now to watch BBL online, where you can get limited free access with a free trial! Or, you can watch BBL for free on TV at Channel 7 (although coverage is limited).
More About AFL
The Big Bash League (or “BBL) is one of Australia’s top domestic cricket leagues. Instead of Test or ODI cricket, the BBL is a T20 cricket league. This means the format is revised to make matches shorter (usually under three hours) and more “exciting”, with a much faster pace and more accessible timeframe.
And it seems to work: the BBL is one of the most popular cricket leagues in Australia. Over one million Aussies follow the eight city-based teams every year as they fight their way to secure a coveted top-four spot on the ladder.
FAQs
Free-to-air Channel 7 is bringing many free BBL games to TV screens in Australia. Just be aware that coverage is limited! 7 won’t show every match. But you can get unlimited access to every game on Kayo and Foxtel with a free trial!
Channel 7 once again has exclusive rights to free-to-air TV BBL coverage in 2025/26. There, you can watch many BBL games live. You won’t be able to watch every single game there, though.
The BBL features 40 regular games, with each team playing ten matches. After that, there are four finals to enjoy. You can watch every BBL match on Kayo Sports and Foxtel Now.
You can find limited highlights on YouTube and full on-demand replays on 7plus. However, by far the best highlights are on Kayo Sports. Their “Kayo Minis” are condensed versions of every match, packed to the brim with all the top highlights.
Both Foxtel Now and Kayo Sports let you watch BBL on almost any device, including your phone.
You can watch BBL games live on Channel 7 throughout the 2025/26 tournament. However, you won’t be able to watch every game. To watch the whole tournament live, sign up for Kayo Sports or Foxtel Now!