You can watch the US Open for free in several countries through public broadcasters and official apps, though the free option depends on where you are since broadcast rights are sold country by country. Pair any free stream with a reputable ad blocker to cut interruptions.
When does the US Open take place?
The US Open is the year’s fourth and final Grand Slam, held in New York at Flushing Meadows. The 2024 edition ran from August 26 to September 8, with daily sessions starting around 11 a.m. Eastern, 4 p.m. BST, and 5 p.m. CEST, and evening sessions typically around 7 p.m. Eastern. Finals fell on September 7 and 8. Future editions follow a similar late-August, early-September window, so plan for the time difference if you are watching from outside the United States.
Where can you watch the US Open for free by country?
Free, legal coverage is available in a number of markets through public broadcasters and their streaming platforms. Availability can shift year to year, so treat these as the typical pattern and verify the current year’s rights before the tournament starts.
- United States. ESPN networks carry the tournament across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, and ESPN Deportes. The ESPN App, ESPN+, and ESPN3 stream live coverage, but live sports require a paid subscription. Some highlights and select content are free.
- Canada. TSN is the lead broadcaster and streams through the TSN app. DAZN also holds rights in some periods. Both are subscription services, though they occasionally offer free trials.
- Latin America and the Caribbean. ESPN holds broadcast rights and streams through ESPN Play.
- Europe. Eurosport typically holds rights across much of Europe and streams through the Eurosport Player. In the UK and Ireland, Amazon Prime Video has held exclusive rights. Local broadcasters such as RTVE in Spain and France Télévisions in France may offer additional free coverage.
- Switzerland. Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS) airs the tournament for free and streams it online.
- Africa. Eurosport Player and SuperSport carry coverage; SuperSport requires a subscription in most sub-Saharan markets.
- Southeast Asia. Eurosport Player and beIN SPORTS CONNECT stream the tournament, availability varies by country.
- Australia. Channel 9 broadcasts the event, and its 9Now streaming platform has offered free coverage.
- New Zealand. TVNZ+ streams the tournament for free.
The official US Open website and the official US Open Tennis app are also free sources for recaps, highlights, behind-the-scenes clips, and live scores, even in markets where live video is paywalled.
How do you watch from outside your home country?
Broadcast rights are geo-restricted. If you are traveling, the free stream you use at home may be blocked. The official apps and broadcaster websites are the safest legal route. Using a VPN to circumvent geo-blocks may violate the terms of service of the streaming platform, so check the platform’s rules before you rely on that approach.
How do you cut ads and interruptions during free streams?
Free streams often carry pre-roll, mid-roll, and overlay ads, and some broadcaster sites load heavy ad stacks that slow playback. A dedicated ad blocker helps in three ways:
- Fewer interruptions. Blocking pre-roll and mid-roll ads reduces the chance of an ad firing at a match’s critical point.
- Faster loading. Pages and players load faster when ad scripts and trackers are blocked before they run.
- Cleaner playback. Blocking pop-ups and overlays keeps the player usable on lower-powered devices.
For background on how blockers handle video ads, see our YouTube ad blocker guide, which covers the same delivery mechanisms many sports streams use, and our what is an ad blocker explainer.
Which ad blocker works best for live sports streams?
Choose a blocker that is free, has no paid-whitelisting program, and updates its rules frequently enough to keep up with ad-delivery changes on streaming sites. ProBlocker is a strong fit:
- Free, no subscription, no account required.
- No Acceptable Ads and no paid whitelisting of advertiser sites.
- Zero user data collected, filtering runs locally.
- Blocks pre-roll, mid-roll, and overlay ads, popups, and malware domains.
- Runs EasyList, EasyPrivacy, uBlock Origin filters, and custom YouTube rules updated daily.
- Available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, and Android.
For a broader comparison of free options, see our best ad blocker comparison and our download page for install links.
Practical tips for a smoother US Open stream
- Test before the match. Open the stream a few minutes early to confirm your ad blocker and browser are not fighting the player.
- Whitelist if needed. If a broadcaster’s player refuses to load with blocking on, add that site to your blocker’s whitelist rather than disabling protection everywhere.
- Use a wired connection or strong Wi-Fi. Live streams are sensitive to jitter; a stable connection matters more than raw speed.
- Keep the official app as a backup. The US Open Tennis app is free and often lighter on ads than the desktop site.
- Check time zones carefully. Sessions start in Eastern time; convert to your local time and account for daylight saving differences so you do not miss early-round start times.
Frequently asked questions
Is the US Open free to watch anywhere? Not everywhere. Free coverage depends on your country’s broadcaster. Public broadcasters in Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Europe and Latin America typically offer free streams.
Can I watch the US Open for free in the United States? Live coverage on ESPN platforms requires a paid subscription. Some highlights and select content are free, and an over-the-air antenna can pick up ABC’s limited broadcast window.
Do I need a VPN to watch from abroad? Not necessarily. Use the local broadcaster’s app or website for the country you are in. A VPN may violate a platform’s terms of service, so read the rules first.
Will an ad blocker break the stream? Usually not. If a player refuses to load, whitelist that specific site in your blocker rather than turning blocking off entirely.
What is the safest free ad blocker for streaming? A free, Manifest V3-native blocker with no paid-whitelisting program and daily-updated filter lists, such as ProBlocker, is a reliable default for cutting ads on sports streams.