The 2023 Grand National is a three-day event featuring some of the best racehorses the UK has to offer. It’s held at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, and this year will run from April 13 until April 15. While there are a total of 21 events, the one everyone wants to see is the Randox Grand National Steeple Chase on April 15. With £1,000,000 of prize money at stake, it’s a race only the best of the best can win. Below, we’ll explain how you can stream every Grand National race live online.
You should note that this post will only recommend official Grand National broadcasters. Major sporting events are often available via unofficial streams but we strongly advise against using these. To begin with, the video is often choppy and low-resolution, which isn’t ideal for “blink and you’ll miss it” events like the Grand National. Further, there’s a chance your stream will be taken offline for copyright violation before the race is over. As the Grand National is freely available from official channels, there’s no reason to use unlicensed streams.
Many streaming platforms now use geo-restriction measures to limit their audience to users in a particular country. This means that to watch on your home services while traveling abroad, you’ll need a VPN.
How to live stream the 2023 Grand National abroad with a VPN
Unblocking geo-restricted platforms from abroad is fairly straightforward once you have a VPN. Below, we’ll walk you through the process step-by-step.
Here’s how to watch the Grand National live online from anywhere:
- First, sign up to a suitable VPN service. We recommend NordVPN although Surfshark and ExpressVPN are two excellent alternatives.
- Download and install the appropriate version of the software for your device.
- Connect to any of your VPN’s British servers to get a UK IP address.
- Try using one of the services mentioned below. Videos should load instantly.
- Didn’t work? Clearing your browser’s cookies and cache, then refreshing the page will fix most issues. Failing this, your VPN’s support may be able to help.
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When trying to watch a live event (like the Grand National), it’s a good idea to test your VPN with the steps above well in advance of the start time. This way, if anything doesn’t work as expected, you’ll still have time to get help from your VPN’s customer support team. This also reduces the risk of you missing part of the broadcast.
How to watch the Grand National for free in the UK
The Grand National is hugely popular in the UK, and as such, has highly sought-after broadcasting rights. For many years the coverage was exclusively available on the BBC and Channel 4. However, in 2023 you can watch the Grand National live and free-of-charge on the UK’s terrestrial service ITV.
This means that the events will also be shown live on the broadcaster’s streaming platform: ITVX (formerly ITV Hub). This service is free to use, although you will have to create an account before you can watch anything. It’s also worth mentioning that due to ITV’s regional restrictions, viewers in Scotland (or those connected to a Scottish VPN server) will have to use the STV Player instead. This is functionally identical to ITVX, but requires a separate registration.
You can also stream the Grand National on TVPlayer.com. This site hosts live streams from several free-to-watch UK TV channels including ITV. Like ITVX, TVPlayer is only available within the UK but it has far less stringent geo-blocking measures, and as such, may be easier to access from abroad.
Finally, every race will be available live on Racing TV. However, as ITV is showing this event for free, there’s really no advantage to signing up. If you’d like to, however, you can purchase a day pass for £10 or a monthly pass for £29.99.
If you’re traveling abroad at the moment abroad (outside the UK) you can still watch the Grand National by connecting to a VPN. NordVPN includes a 30-day money-back guarantee with all of its plans, allowing you to try it completely risk-free. Just cancel within this time period to claim a full refund if you’re unsatisfied.
Can I stream the Grand National abroad?
Despite being the UK’s most well-known horse race, the Grand National isn’t available for streaming in many countries this year. It is, however, being broadcast by Foxtel in Australia and CBC Sports in Canada. Unfortunately, neither of these are free to watch.
Complete 2023 Grand National schedule
With 21 races, 12 hours of coverage, and a total of £3,000,000 up for grabs, the 2023 Grand National promises to be a memorable day both for racing fans and the jockeys themselves. Take a look below for the full Grand National schedule:
| Date | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|
| April 13 | The Racehorse Lotto Manifesto Novices’ Steeple Chase (Class 1) Grade 1 | 1:45 PM BST (5:45 AM PST / 8:45 AM EST) |
| The Jewson Anniversary 4-y-o Juvenile Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 1 | 2:20 PM BST (6:20 AM PST / 9:20 AM EST | |
| The Aintree Bowl Steeple Chase (Class 1) Grade 1 | 2:55 PM BST (6:55 AM PST / 9:55 AM EST) | |
| The William Hill Aintree Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 1 | 3:30 PM BST (7:30 AM PST / 10:30 AM EST) | |
| The Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase | 4:05 PM BST (8:05 AM PST / 11:05 AM EST) | |
| The Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Steeple Chase (Class 1) Grade 3 | 4:40 PM BST (8:40 AM PST / 11:40 AM EST) | |
| The Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat (Grade 2) | 5:15PM BST (9:15 AM PST / 12:15 PM EST) | |
| April 14 | The Air Charter Services Mildmay Novices’ Steeple Chase (Class 1) Grade 1 | 1:45 PM BST (5:45 AM PST / 8:45 AM EST) |
| The William Hill Handicap Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 3 | 2:20 PM BST (6:20 AM PST / 9:20 AM EST | |
| The Poundland Top Novices’ Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 1 | 2:50 PM BST (6:50 AM PST / 9:50 AM EST) | |
| The Marsh Steeple Chase (Registered as the Melling) (Grade 1) | 3:30 PM BST (7:30 AM PST / 10:30 AM EST) | |
| The Randox Supports Race Against Dementia Topham Chase (Grade 3) | 4:05 PM BST (8:05 AM PST / 11:05 AM EST) | |
| The Winners Wear Cavani Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 1 | 4:40 PM BST (8:40 AM PST / 11:40 AM EST) | |
| The Abersoch Land and Sea Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) (Conditional & Amateur Jockeys) | 5:15PM BST (9:15 AM PST / 12:15 PM EST) | |
| April 15 | The EFT Systems Maghull Novices’ Steeple Chase (Class 1) Grade 1 | 1:45 PM BST (5:45 AM PST / 8:45 AM EST) |
| The Village Hotels Handicap Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 3 | 2:25 PM BST (6:25 AM PST / 9:25 AM EST | |
| The Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 1 | 3PM BST (7AM PST / 10AM EST) | |
| The JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 1 | 3:35 PM BST (7:35 AM PS T/ 10:35 AM EST) | |
| The William Hill Freebooter Handicap Steeple Chase (Class 1) Grade 3 | 4:15 PM BST (8:15 AM PST / 11:15 AM EST) | |
| The Randox Grand National Steeple Chase (Grade 3) | 5:15 PM BST (9:15 AM PST / 12:15 PM EST) | |
| The Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (Grade 2) | 6:20 PM BST (10:15 AM PST / 1:15 PM EST) |
