Founder & Editor · Last reviewed 2026-05-10
The 2026 edition has been run. Next: Royal Ascot 2027, Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 June 2027.
Royal AscotTuesday 16 -- Saturday 20 June 2026. Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire.
Quick answer for "where can I watch Royal Ascot 2026":
- All 5 days: ITV1 free-to-air + ITVX live stream. ITV Racing covers every race on every day -- approximately 13:00 BST through 18:00 BST.
- All 5 days: Racing TV (Sky 426 / Virgin 535 / RacingTV.com) carries full HD coverage with extra paddock walks + analysis. Subscription required, OR £6.99 single-day pass per day.
- Ireland: RTÉ Sport carries selected race coverage; full RTÉ Player live stream.
- International: FanDuel TV (US), Sky Racing 1 (Australia), TBN / Asia Racing TV (Asia).
The shortest path to free coverage is ITV1 across all 5 days -- ITV1 is included in every Freeview / Sky / Virgin / Freesat package; ITVX is free with email registration on web, mobile and smart-TV apps. Royal Ascot 2026 is the 4th year ITV Racing has held the rights.
The cheapest path to all races on all days is the Racing TV £29.98/month subscription -- 5 days of coverage justifies the monthly cost easily. Single-day passes at £6.99 add up to £34.95 for the week, more expensive than a one-month subscription.
Royal Ascot Ladies Day is Thursday 19 June (the Gold Cup day historically known for fashion) -- ITV's coverage gets the most non-racing ratings of the week. Saturday 21 June (Diamond Jubilee Day) is the highest-betting day.
This guide gives the per-platform breakdown with what's included on each, plus the international viewing options. For the full schedule + off-times see our Royal Ascot 2026 TV guide and for the race-by-race verdicts see our Royal Ascot 2026 tips.
Where to watch Royal Ascot 2026 -- by platform
ITV1 / ITVX (all 5 days, free)
ITV1 is free-to-air via every UK digital TV provider (Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, Freesat, BT TV). Coverage runs from approximately 13:00 BST through 18:00 BST every day. ITV4 simulcasts where the ITV1 schedule has news / drama overlaps. ITVX live stream automatically follows ITV1 → ITV4 to keep coverage continuous.
ITVX (itv.com/watch) is ITV's live stream + on-demand platform. Free with email registration. ITVX gives you:
- Live stream of all 5 days on desktop, mobile, smart TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV
- 30-day on-demand catch-up of every race + post-race interviews + jockey/trainer briefings
- HD quality + subtitles + commentary track options
ITV's Royal Ascot daily highlights show typically airs at 19:00 BST every evening on ITV4 -- a 60-90 minute recap with race replays + analyst content. Free-to-air.
Racing TV (all 5 days, subscription or day passes)
Racing TV (racingtv.com) covers every race on all 5 days in full HD with paddock walks, post-race interviews, analyst content. Available via:
- Sky Channel 426 / Virgin Channel 535 -- as part of a sports add-on bundle
- RacingTV.com web stream -- £29.98/month subscription, OR £6.99 single-day pass per day
- Racing TV iOS / Android app -- same access tier as the web stream
The full subscription is the better play for Royal Ascot week -- £29.98 for 5 days vs £34.95 in single-day passes. Subscribe, watch the week, then cancel if you don't want the rest of the year's coverage.
Sky Sports Racing (selected days, sports subscription)
Sky Sports Racing (skysports.com/racing) typically carries selected supporting races + post-race analysis on selected days. Less dedicated coverage than Racing TV for the named Group races -- best used as a supplementary feed for already-Sky subscribers.
Free post-race highlights (YouTube, Racing Post, Sporting Life)
ITV Racing's YouTube channel publishes Group 1 race replays + jockey/trainer post-race interviews within 30 minutes of each race. Free, no registration. Same applies for the Coventry, Norfolk, Royal Hunt Cup, Britannia, and the day's headline handicaps.
Racing Post (racingpost.com), Sporting Life (sportinglife.com) and At The Races (attheraces.com) all publish written race reports + free video replays within 60 minutes.
Ireland (RTÉ Sport + Racing TV via Sky Ireland)
RTÉ Sport carries selected Royal Ascot coverage on a per-race basis. Pattern: the Gold Cup, St James's Palace, and Diamond Jubilee are typically on RTÉ One / RTÉ Two free-to-air. RTÉ Player live stream + catch-up free with registration.
Racing TV is available in Ireland via Sky Ireland and UPC for full coverage of all 5 days.
Outside the UK / Ireland
FanDuel TV (formerly TVG) covers Royal Ascot for North American viewers. Sky Racing 1 in Australia covers the full week. Asia: TBN / Asia Racing TV for Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan feeds.
For the race-by-race verdicts see our Royal Ascot 2026 tips, and for the full schedule + off-times see our Royal Ascot 2026 TV guide.
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