Founder & Editor · Last reviewed 2026-04-09
Looking for the current Grand National?
Our live guide has 2026+ racetimes, TV coverage and runners as they're confirmed.
See the Grand National live hubThis race has been run. The 2026 Grand National was run on Saturday 11 April 2026. See the Grand National 2026 Result for the finishing order. What follows is kept as it was written beforehand, with one correction: this page originally stated the race went off at 5:15pm. It actually ran at 4:00pm, moved from the 5:15pm slot the National had held in prior years, confirmed against the race's own official start-times page. The National's row in the schedule below and the two sentences that referred to its 5:15pm time have been corrected; the earlier slots in the table are the original pre-race broadcast plan and have not been independently re-verified against what actually aired.
How to Watch the Grand National 2026
The 2026 Randox Grand National takes place at Aintree on Saturday 11 April. The race itself went off at 4:00pm BST, moved that year from the 5:15pm slot it had held in prior years, but ITV's coverage started much earlier with a full afternoon of build-up, interviews, and supporting races.
The Grand National is one of the few sporting events in the UK that is protected by law as a "listed event" — meaning it must be broadcast free-to-air on terrestrial television. You do not need a subscription to watch it.
Whether you are at home, in the pub, or abroad, here is every way to watch the 2026 Grand National live. For the full race schedule and times, see our timings guide.
Where to Bet
Place your bets with a trusted, licensed bookmaker.
Promo code BETFRED50. New customers only. Register, deposit with a Debit Card, and place a first bet of £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports, to be settled within 7 days, to get £30 in Sports Free Bets and £20 in Bet Builder Free Bets within 24 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. Full T&Cs.
Promo code R30. New UK customers only, 18+. Register, deposit £10 or more, then place a £10 single cash bet at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on any sports market (excluding Virtuals). Once the qualifying bet settles you get £30 in Free Bets (3 x £10) — the qualifying bet can win or lose. Free Bets are valid on any sports market excluding Virtuals, expire in 7 days, are non-withdrawable and must be used in full. Excluded deposit methods apply (including PayPal, Apple Pay, Skrill and NETELLER). Named bets such as Lucky 15 do not qualify. If you cash out the qualifying bet, or it is voided, you are no longer eligible for the offer. Ends 31.12.26. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. Full T&Cs.
Promo code BET40GET20. New UK customers, 18+. Register with the code and place a first bet of £40 or more at Evens (2.0) or greater. Receive 2 × £10 free bets: the first credited automatically once the qualifying bet settles, the second 24 hours later. Free bets must be placed at minimum odds of 4/1 (5.0), expire 24 hours after credit, and the free-bet stake is not returned with winnings. Debit card deposits only. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
50% of your first-day net losses refunded as a free bet, capped at £25. New UK customers aged 18+ only. To qualify, deposit and place a first bet of £10 or more on any sport at minimum odds of evens (2.00), then place at least two further bets on different events, each worth at least 50% of your largest bet, all at evens (2.00) or greater. Losses are counted from your first settled bet until 23:59 the same day. Place a qualifying £10+ bet and you are guaranteed at least a £5 free bet. Bets placed at SP, void bets, cashed-out bets and bets struck with free bets do not count towards the offer. The free bet is credited the day after your qualifying bets settle and must be used within 7 days, after which it expires. It can be used at odds from 1/4 (1.25) up to 250/1 on singles and straight accumulators, but not on Trixie, Patent or Yankee style multiples. Free-bet stake is not returned with winnings. One offer per person, household, address, IP address and device. E-wallet deposits may not qualify, so check the cashier before depositing. Customers registered with GAMSTOP cannot claim. KYC identity verification must be completed before the free bet is credited. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
New customers, 18+. Choose the sports bonus at sign-up, make a first deposit and receive a 100% bonus up to £50 in your Sports Bonus balance. To convert the bonus to cash, wager it 10x within 30 days. Single bets below Evens (2.00) do not qualify; accumulators do not qualify if any selection is below 1/2 (1.50). Virtual Sports, voided, cancelled, drawn, cashed-out and free-bet wagers do not count towards wagering. Only the first settled bet per event counts. Withdrawing before the wagering requirement is met forfeits the bonus balance including bonus winnings. Real-money funds are used before bonus funds. Deposits via Skrill or Neteller are not eligible. Not valid in conjunction with other promotions. Odds, bet and payment limits apply. 10bet general and promotion T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. Full T&Cs.
New customers in Great Britain and Republic of Ireland, 18+. Place a £10 fixed-odds qualifying bet at minimum odds of 1/2 (1.50) — single or each-way (only the win part counts), pre-event or in-play, not cashed out early, within 28 days of opening the account. Receive £60 in bonuses credited over three days: 3 × £10 fixed-odds free bets (the first on settlement, then 24 and 48 hours later) plus 3 × £5 Total Goals FOOTBALL spread bets, 3 × £5 racing Winning Favourites spread bets and a £1 racing Race Index spread bet (the spread bets need a full spread-betting account). Free-bet stakes not returned with winnings; free bets valid 28 days from issue. IMPORTANT: the £5 credits are SPREAD bets — sports spread betting carries the risk that losses can exceed your stake. Sports spread-betting customers do not have Financial Ombudsman or FSCS recourse. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
Promo code WELCOME15, entered under My Bonuses after registering. New UK customers, 18+. Place a first qualifying bet of at least £10 from your cash balance at odds of evens (2.0) or greater within 7 days of opening the account. Once the qualifying bet fully settles you receive £15 in free bets, credited as 3 x £5 tokens with set uses: one £5 accumulator free bet (minimum 4 legs, each leg at 2/5 or bigger), one £5 sports free bet (any market at evens or bigger) and one £5 Sub Cover free bet (selected football player markets at evens or bigger). Free-bet stakes are not returned with winnings. Free bets expire 7 days after they are credited. Void, cashed-out and partially cashed-out bets do not qualify. One offer per customer. Confirm the current terms on BetGoodwin's own welcome-offer page before claiming. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
New UK customers, 18+. Minimum deposit £10. Place a £10 qualifying single at minimum odds of 1/2 (1.50), settled within 14 days. Receive £30 in free bets (stake not returned), split £20 for sportsbook use (2 x £10) and £10 for Bet Builder only (2 x £5); Bet Builder does not cover horse racing. Free bets must be accepted within 7 days and expire 7 days after acceptance. No promo code required. Best Odds Guaranteed on UK & Irish racing, subject to having staked over £25 in the previous seven days. Operated by LiveScore Betting and Gaming (Gibraltar) Ltd, UKGC 56859. Confirm the current terms on LiveScore Bet's own promotions page before claiming. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
18+. BeGambleAware.org
ITV Racing: Full TV Coverage
ITV holds exclusive UK terrestrial broadcasting rights for the Grand National. Their coverage on Saturday 11 April runs as follows:
ITV1 Schedule
| Time | Programme |
|---|---|
| 1:00pm | ITV Racing: Grand National Day — build-up begins |
| 1:45pm | First race of the day |
| 2:25pm | Supporting race |
| 3:00pm | Supporting race |
| 3:35pm | Supporting race |
| 4:15pm | Pre-National build-up — parade, declarations, jockey interviews (as originally scheduled; the National itself moved earlier, see correction above) |
| 4:00pm | The Randox Grand National (corrected from the 5:15pm originally stated here; the race actually went off at 4:00pm) |
| 4:15pm (approx.) | Post-race reaction, winner's enclosure |
| 6:00pm | Final race of the day |
Coverage is presented by Ed Chamberlin, with analysis from ITV's racing team including Francesca Cumani, Luke Harvey, and Mick Fitzgerald. The paddock coverage — watching horses being saddled and assessing their condition — was a key part of the pre-race ritual; its exact timing shifted along with the earlier race time and was not independently re-verified.
What to Watch For in the Build-Up
The half hour or so before the National is when the betting market moves most. Watch for:
- Jockey interviews — body language and confidence matter. Jockeys rarely criticise their own ride publicly, but the enthusiasm (or lack of it) tells a story.
- The parade — horses walk in front of the stands before heading to the start. Sweating, unsettled behaviour, or a horse fighting its handler can indicate stress. Calm, relaxed horses tend to perform better over four miles.
- Late market moves — ITV shows the live betting market on screen. A horse shortening from 20/1 to 12/1 in the final 30 minutes is significant and usually reflects informed money.
Live Streaming, Radio & Watching Abroad
ITVX (Free Live Stream)
ITV's streaming service ITVX carries the full ITV Racing broadcast live and free. You need to create a free account (email and password only — no payment required). The stream works on:
- Web browsers (itvx.com)
- iOS and Android apps
- Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku)
The stream typically runs 30–60 seconds behind the live TV broadcast. If you are betting live, be aware of this delay.
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live provides full commentary of the Grand National. The radio broadcast is ideal if you are at the course (where big-screen coverage can be hard to see from certain enclosures), driving, or want expert analysis alongside your TV viewing.
Radio coverage starts at approximately 4:00pm on 5 Live Sports Extra, moving to the main 5 Live frequency for the National itself at 5:00pm.
You can listen via:
- FM radio (693/909 MW, or local FM frequencies)
- BBC Sounds app (free, live)
- Smart speakers ("play BBC Radio 5 Live")
Watching from Outside the UK
The Grand National is broadcast internationally in over 140 countries:
- Ireland — Virgin Media Television carries the ITV Racing feed
- USA — NBC Sports typically broadcasts the race (check local listings)
- Australia — Racing.com or Sky Racing carry UK racing
- Rest of world — Check local sports broadcasters. Many betting apps (Bet365, Paddy Power) offer live streaming to account holders with a funded account
ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK. A VPN may allow access from abroad, though this is against ITV's terms of service.
Pub Screening
Most pubs with a television will show the Grand National. It is one of the few horse racing events that pubs actively promote — alongside Cheltenham's Gold Cup day and the Epsom Derby. No subscription is required since ITV is free-to-air.
Arrive by 4:00pm to get a seat. Popular pubs in city centres will be busy from 3:00pm onwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Share this article
Research the field with the AI Race Predictor
Our model publishes calibrated win-probability estimates for UK races — a second opinion to understand a race, not tips. It's open about its record: it doesn't beat the market, and we show exactly how it does.
Betting offers for Grand National
Work it out & learn the basics
Gamble Responsibly
Gambling should be entertaining and not seen as a way to make money. Never bet more than you can afford to lose. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help and support is available.