Short answer: once you look past football, the "best IPTV provider" in the UK depends entirely on your sport. Sky Sports (directly or through NOW) covers F1, England cricket, PDC darts, golf and Super League. TNT Sports has Premiership rugby, MotoGP, UFC and two tennis Grand Slams. DAZN is the home of most big boxing. And a surprising amount, including the Six Nations, Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix, is free.
At a glance
UK sport beyond football, 2026
| F1, cricket, darts, golf | Sky Sports / NOW, from £14.99 a day |
| Club rugby, MotoGP, UFC | TNT Sports, £30.99 a month |
| Boxing | Mostly DAZN, about £10 a month on annual |
| Free | Six Nations, Wimbledon, British GP, F1 highlights |
| Best money-saver | Pay only in your sport's season |
Who has what: the 2026 rights map
The lists ranking for this search promise "every sport" from a single provider. In reality UK sports rights are split between five or six licensed companies, and no single subscription has everything. Here's the map as it stands in autumn 2026.
| Sport | Main live rights holder | Free-to-air |
|---|---|---|
| Formula 1 | Sky Sports, every race through 2029 | Channel 4: highlights of every race, British GP live |
| England home cricket | Sky Sports (also The Hundred, county cricket) | Selected Hundred games on BBC; England highlights free |
| Six Nations | n/a | BBC and ITV, all matches; Women's Six Nations free too |
| Premiership Rugby | TNT Sports, every game until 2031 | Occasional free games |
| Rugby league | Sky Sports (Super League) | BBC: Challenge Cup and some internationals |
| Boxing | DAZN (Matchroom, Queensberry); some Sky and TNT Box Office events | Rare |
| PDC darts | Sky Sports, including the World Championship | ITV: selected tournaments |
| Golf | Sky Sports (majors incl. The Open and Masters, Ryder Cup, main tours) | Highlights |
| Tennis | TNT Sports (Australian Open, Roland-Garros) | Wimbledon on BBC |
| MotoGP and UFC | TNT Sports | None |
The providers and what they cost
| Provider | Price (autumn 2026) | Flexible? |
|---|---|---|
| NOW Sports (Sky Sports) | £34.99/month; £14.99 Day Membership; Boost £6 for HD | Yes, monthly or daily |
| Sky Sports via Sky TV | From about £20/month on top of Sky TV | Usually 24-month contract |
| TNT Sports (on HBO Max) | £30.99/month, or £25.99 on a 12-month plan | Monthly option available |
| DAZN | £119.99/year upfront; £19.99 flexible monthly; £24.99 Premium | Yes, at a higher price |
| Premier Sports | £15.99/month or £149.99/year | Yes |
| BBC, ITV, Channel 4 | Free (TV licence £180/year) | n/a |
Premier Sports is the niche one, but it matters for some rugby (it has carried European club rugby) and the occasional darts event and overseas cricket series, such as New Zealand home Tests.
Formula 1
Sky Sports has every session of every Grand Prix live, and its deal runs through 2029. Channel 4 shows extended highlights of every race free, plus the British Grand Prix live. If you can avoid spoilers until the evening, the free option covers more than many people realise.
For live races, the maths is interesting. The 2026 calendar has around 24 rounds between March and early December. A NOW Day Membership for every race weekend would cost roughly £360, more than paying NOW Sports monthly for the ten months the season runs (£349.90). Sprint weekends and qualifying push it further towards the monthly pass. Day passes only win if you just watch a handful of races live.
Cricket
Sky Sports is the home of English cricket: England's home Tests and white-ball matches, The Hundred and county cricket. Most England overseas tours are on Sky too, though not all; the 2025-26 Ashes went to TNT Sports, and Premier Sports has New Zealand's home Tests. Free coverage is limited to selected Hundred games on the BBC and England highlights.
A fan who only follows the English summer can get away with NOW Sports from May to September: five months, £174.95. Add Day passes for any winter tour Tests you want to watch live.
Rugby union and league
Rugby is the most free-to-air friendly sport on this list. All Six Nations matches are on the BBC and ITV, and the Women's Six Nations is free too. If you follow England, Wales, Scotland or Ireland internationally, you may not need to pay at all for the spring.
Club rugby is different. TNT Sports has every Premiership match, with a deal running to 2031, and the United Rugby Championship. European competition has moved between broadcasters more than once, so check which channel has the Champions Cup each season before subscribing.
Rugby league fans need Sky Sports for Super League. The BBC shows the Challenge Cup free, and internationals are split between the BBC and Sky.
Boxing and UFC
Boxing is the hardest sport to budget for, because rights follow promoters rather than leagues. In 2026 DAZN carries the two biggest UK promoters, Matchroom and Queensberry, so most British title fights land there. DAZN's annual plan at £119.99 works out at about £10 a month, much cheaper than its £19.99 flexible plan if you watch year-round.
The biggest nights are often pay-per-view on top: DAZN PPV, TNT Sports Box Office or Sky Sports Box Office, priced per event. Budget for those separately. UFC is on TNT Sports, so a combat-sports fan typically ends up with DAZN plus TNT.
Darts, golf and tennis
- Darts: Sky Sports has the PDC calendar's big events, including the World Championship over Christmas and New Year. ITV shows some tournaments free. Time a NOW Sports month to start in mid-December and you'll cover the whole World Championship for £34.99.
- Golf: Sky Sports has the most, including The Open, the Masters and the Ryder Cup. Day passes work well for golf fans who only want the four majors' final rounds.
- Tennis: Wimbledon is on the BBC. The Australian Open and Roland-Garros are on TNT Sports, so a month of TNT in January and another in late May covers both.
Cost plans by type of fan
Using the prices above. All of these assume you cancel outside your sport's season, which is the single biggest saving available.
| Fan | Plan | Approx. per year |
|---|---|---|
| F1, every session live | NOW Sports, March to early December | £350 |
| F1, highlights are fine | Channel 4 | £0 (plus licence) |
| English summer cricket | NOW Sports, May to September | £175 |
| International rugby | BBC and ITV | £0 (plus licence) |
| Premiership rugby | TNT Sports, September to June | About £310 |
| Boxing | DAZN annual, plus the odd PPV | £120 plus PPVs |
| Darts | One NOW month over the World Championship, ITV the rest | £35 |
| "A bit of everything" | NOW Sports all year + TNT in rugby season + DAZN annual | About £850 |
If you also follow football, Sky Sports and TNT Sports carry the Premier League as well, so the same subscriptions do double duty.
The "all sports for £15" pitch
The pages ranking for "best IPTV providers UK 2026" mostly sell one subscription that claims to include every channel above, plus PPV boxing, for about the price of a single DAZN month. One even claims to have tested an F1 Grand Prix for stability. None show a licence, and the arithmetic makes it impossible: the legitimate channels add up to well over £80 a month before any pay-per-view.
The UK has been jailing operators of exactly these services, and in December 2025 investigators sent warnings to more than 1,000 viewers using a seized customer list. On top of that, unlicensed streams are least reliable at the moments sport fans care about most: the start of a race, the last over, the main event walk-out. Our guide to IPTV for sports explains why, and how to spot an IPTV scam covers the red flags.
For smooth live sport on the licensed apps, your setup matters too. A wired connection and the right TV settings make a visible difference; see 60fps sports settings and our pick of the best streaming boxes for sport.
Quick answers
Where can I watch F1 in the UK in 2026?
Sky Sports shows every session live, with a deal running through 2029. Channel 4 shows free highlights of every race and the British Grand Prix live.
Who shows England cricket in the UK?
Sky Sports has England's home internationals, The Hundred and county cricket, plus most overseas tours. Some tours go elsewhere, and selected Hundred games are free on the BBC.
Is the Six Nations free to watch in the UK?
Yes. Every Six Nations match is shown on BBC or ITV, and the Women's Six Nations is free too. You need a TV licence to watch live.
Which service has boxing in the UK?
Mostly DAZN, which carries Matchroom and Queensberry cards. Some events are on Sky Sports or TNT Sports, and the biggest fights are often pay-per-view.
How can I watch the PDC World Darts Championship?
It's on Sky Sports. Without a Sky contract, a NOW Sports month started in mid-December covers the tournament for £34.99.
Is DAZN cheaper annually in the UK?
Yes. The annual Super Saver plan is £119.99 upfront, about £10 a month, compared with £19.99 for the flexible monthly plan.
Is there one legal UK provider with every sport?
No. UK sports rights are split between Sky Sports, TNT Sports, DAZN, Premier Sports and the free broadcasters. A provider claiming all of them for one low price isn't licensed.
Sports rights change with each contract cycle and boxing deals follow promoters, so check the broadcaster before an event. Prices are list prices reported in September and October 2026. Checked October 2026.