Bypass geo-restrictions to watch The Ashes without spending anything.
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Arguably the biggest cricket contest of the year is here, and that means dedicated fans from around the world will be searching high and low for the best way to stream The Ashes. This is where we can help.
If you’re interested in watching The Ashes for free from anywhere in the world, we’ve got all the information you need.
What is The Ashes?
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between bitter rivals England and Australia. This year’s series is being hosted by England.
An Ashes series traditionally consists of five Tests. Australia have won 34, England have won 32, and six series have ended in a draw.
When is The Ashes in 2023?
The Ashes will take place between June 16 and July 31 in 2023.
The Ashes generally happens every two years, with England and Australia taking turns to play host. The gap between each series can actually be anywhere from 18 to 30 months due to seasonal differences.
Where can you watch The Ashes in 2023?
The good news is that there are plenty of broadcasting options for The Ashes:
Australia — 9Now (free), Foxtel, or Kayo Sports
UK — BBC iPlayer (free but only highlights), BT Sport (only highlights), NOW, or Sky Sports
USA — Sling TV or Willow TV
The key thing to note here is that most of these services are not free.
The only free service with complete broadcasting rights for The Ashes 2023 is 9Now, meaning you can stream every Test live and free with the service. The catch? You will be blocked from accessing 9Now if you attempt to connect from outside Australia. That is unless you use a VPN to bypass this pesky geo-restriction.
How to watch The Ashes for free
Cricket fans are in luck, because you can stream The Ashes for free in 2023 by following some simple steps.
VPNs can hide your real IP address and connect you to a secure server in another country, meaning you can stream The Ashes for free from anywhere in the world with ease:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN like ExpressVPN(opens in a new tab)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia
Connect to 9Now
Watch The Ashes from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer pretty generous money-back guarantees. By using these guarantees, you can watch The Ashes without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but you’ve got enough time to watch the majority of this year’s series without actually spending anything.
It’s a sneaky trick, but it works.
What is the best VPN for streaming sport?
ExpressVPN(opens in a new tab) remains the best service for unblocking streaming services, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 94 countries including Australia
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy
Fast streaming speeds free from throttling
Up to five simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN(opens in a new tab) is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The generous money-back guarantee means you can sign up to watch The Ashes, and then recover your investment when the series has finished. You can get your cash back quickly and easily. Just don’t forget.
Watch The Ashes 2023 for free with ExpressVPN.
Joseph joined Mashable as the UK Shopping Editor in 2018. He worked for a number of print publications before making the switch to the glittery world of digital media, and now writes about everything from coffee machines to VPNs.
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