NRL fans have had to wait until the preseason to get their first glimpse of newly assembled squads. Now that the teams are ready for their first real action in 2025, it’s time to review all the options for watching your favourite team, players and rivalries.
Here’s how to watch every match in the 2025 NRL Pre-Season Challenge, including the Charity Shield and World Club Challenge.
NRL Pre-Season 2025 TV Guide
This year the NRL pre-season kicks off on Friday, 7th of February, and concludes on Sunday the 23rd of February.
The TV broadcast rights for the 2025 NRL Pre-Season Challenge belong exclusively to Fox League, and every game across both weeks will be available to watch live on Foxtel, Foxtel Now, and Kayo Sports.
That’s a total of fifteen Pre-Season Trial games, in addition to the annual NRL All Stars matches (15 Feb) and the Charity Shield (22 Feb).
In 2025, the pre-season challenge format and points system will not change. This means that $100,000 in prize money will be awarded equally to players and clubs. Also, bonus points will be awarded to teams for tries, line breaks, and offloads. Each week, the number of players may not exceed 28 per squad.
On Saturday, February 15, CommBank Stadium in Parramatta, Sydney will host both of the yearly All Stars matches.
| NRL Provider | Preseason Challenge | Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Kayo Sports | LIVE coverage of all 17 Preseason matches plus the All-Star games | Yes – 7 day Free trial |
| Foxtel | LIVE coverage of all 17 Preseason matches plus the All-Star games | Yes – 10 day Free trial |
| Channel Nine | No preseason games, just All Stars | All Stars only |
When are NRL Pre-season trial games live on TV today?
Every NRL Preseason Challenge and All-Stars game will be broadcast exclusively live on the Fox League channel (Kayo/Foxtel).
There are no NRL Preseason games available on free to air, as Channel Nine did not acquire the broadcast rights for these matches.
Use these broadcast fixtures to see when and where to watch the Pre-Season matches that are live on TV today:
| NRL Pre-season Week 3 | Date/Time (AEDT) | TV/Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Manly Sea Eagles vs Penrith Panthers | LIVE: Fri, 21 Feb, 6:00pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Wests Tigers vs Parramatta Eels | LIVE: Fri, 21 Feb, 8:00pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Charity Shield: St George Illawarra Dragons vs South Sydney Rabbitohs | LIVE: Sat, 22 Feb, 3:00pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Brisbane Broncos vs Canterbury Bulldogs | LIVE: Sat, 22 Feb, 5:30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Dolphins vs Gold Coast Titans | LIVE: Sat, 22 Feb, 7:30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Melbourne Storm vs North Queensland Cowboys | LIVE: Sun, 23 Feb, 2pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Sydney Roosters vs Newcastle Knights | LIVE: Sun, 23 Feb, 4:00pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
How to watch the 2025 NRL Preseason live in Australia
Fortunately, there are several options for watching every match of the 2025 Pre-Season Challenge 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, and the features that make each of these choices unique.
Stream the NRL Preseason live with Kayo Sports
One option for watching the NRL Pre-season live is on Kayo Sports, which is currently offering a 7-day free trial for new customers.
Kayo Sports gives you access to the same NRL broadcasts as Fox League (every game of every round LIVE with no ad-breaks during play) so you can stream your favourite team’s matches live or on-demand.
For fans who want to catch up on the action, Kayo Minis provide a 10-20 minute recap after the final whistle has been blown.
Other Kayo features include Interactive Graphics, SplitView, No Spoilers and Key Moments, which provide highlights throughout matches in real-time.
Kayo also does not have a lock-in contract, so you’re free to pause or cancell your subscription at any time.
Stream Rugby League on Kayo Sports
Watch every game from every round of the NRL season + International Tests with a monthly no contract plan.
Watch the NRL Preseason live online with Foxtel Now
Every NRL Pre-season game is exclusive to the Fox League 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 choice to watch the NRL Pre-season live online using Foxtel Now, which currently comes with a 10-day free trial offering. This option includes the ability to stream NRL using the Foxtel Go app.
Fox League 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.
