March promises to be a huge month for sport. Here’s what you need to know to prepare.
As is the case every year, March 2022 will be a mammoth month for your favourite sports. The return of the likes of the NRL, AFL, F1, MotoGP and much much more means you’ll need to be prepared to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the action. Sports streaming can be a tricky business, so to help out, we’ve assembled this guide.
The month of March in sport
There will be 4 PGA events held in March, beginning with the Arnold Palmer Invitational on 3 March. In cricket, Australia will play Pakistan in a Test series across the month, with the first Test starting on 4 March. The Repco Supercars Championship will have 2 events in March – the Sydney SuperNight (4 March), followed by the Tasmanian SuperSprint (26 March).
MotoGP will have 2 Grands Prix in March, in Qatar (7 March) and Indonesia (20 March). In the world of tennis, 2 major ATP/WTA events are scheduled – the BNP Paribas Open starts on 8 March and the Miami Open starts on 22 March. Australia’s 2 favourite leagues both return in mid-March, with the NRL on 10 March and AFL on 17 March. The opening Formula 1 Grand Prix in Bahrain (21 March) will be followed by the Saudi Arabian GP (28 March). Super Netball is set to get underway on 26 March.
How to watch
If you’re a free-to-air viewer, there’s plenty for you to enjoy in March. Channel 7 and Channel 9 will broadcast a selection of AFL and NRL games every week, respectively. NRL games broadcast on Channel 9 can be simultaneously live streamed on 9Now and caught up with on demand. Unfortunately, due to broadcast agreements, the AFL is not available on 7plus. 10 Bold will show every MotoGP race this year live and the races can also be live streamed on 10 play.
Every NRL and AFL game is available on Kayo and Foxtel throughout March. So if you never want to run the risk of missing your team’s games, you’ll need on one of these services.
Certain events in March will only be available on Kayo and Fox Sports. They include the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Super Netball and Repco Supercars. In addition to being available on Kayo and Fox Sports, Aussie racing fans can set up an F1 TV subscription to catch the Bahrain and Saudi Grands Prix. Similarly, you can enjoy Australia’s Test series against Pakistan on ICC.tv or you can catch it on Kayo and Foxtel. As well as its availability on 10 Bold, the MotoGP can be found on Kayo, Fox Sports and MotoGP Video Pass.
Tennis will be widely broadcast in Australia in 2022, including on Kayo, Foxtel, beIN SPORTS and Fetch, if ESPN is included in your package. All of these services will be broadcasting the 2 March events. If you want to see every court live for ATP events, you can set up a Tennis TV account, although this doesn’t cover the WTA or the grand slams when they roll around.
Watch NRL, AFL and much much more on Kayo
Stream Kayo Sports for 14 days FREE and no lock-in contract
Take Kayo Sports’ Basic or Premium plan for a spin and stream over 50 sports live completely free for 14 days.
For hardcore sports fans, it doesn’t get better than Kayo. If you’re a new customer, Kayo has a 14-day free trial on offer.
After your trial, subscriptions for Kayo are $25 per month for the Basic option, which allows you to watch games on 2 screens or devices. The Premium option is $10 more per month and gives you a bonus screen.
Kayo has access to more than 50 sports, including every NRL and AFL game bar the respective grand finals, Formula 1, tennis and every other event listed in this article. If you can think of a sport, there’s a good chance it’s on Kayo.
Kayo’s bevy of special features includes Kayo Minis, SplitView, Interactive Stats and a Key Moments Timeline. For motorsport, Kayo offers RaceView, giving you unparalleled access to cameras attached to the vehicles, making you really feel like you’re part of the race.
Kayo is compatible with Android, iOS, Apple TV, Telstra TV, Android TV and Samsung TV (2017 or later), Sony Bravia TVs, Mac and PC, Chromecast or AirPlay. Check out our full review of Kayo Sports.
Live stream every March NRL and AFL game live on Kayo: Start your 14-day free trial now
Watch on Foxtel
If you have a Foxtel iQ subscription including the Sports HD pack, you’re all set to watch the events listed above. If not, you’ll need to sign up for the Sports HD pack for $25 per month as well as the Foxtel Plus package for $49 per month.
This will lead to a monthly bill of $74. Unless you’re going to get good use out of Foxtel Plus content, it’s definitely worth taking a hard look at Kayo. Check out our official guide to Kayo vs Foxtel here.
Foxtel is also the only broadcaster in Australia that offers users access to 4K sports streaming content, which is certainly something to keep in mind.
You may also find you’re up for some installation costs, although Foxtel iQ deals are regularly available.
Stream on Foxtel Now
Another option is Foxtel Now, the pay TV king’s digital streaming service. For sports streaming, you’ll have to subscribe to the Essentials pack in addition to the Sport pack which costs $54 per month. This makes it cheaper than iQ, but significantly pricier than Kayo. Again, if you’re only interested in Foxtel for sports streaming, Kayo is a strong alternative.
As with an iQ subscription, this package will enable you to stream every event listed above.
If you haven’t tried it previously, Foxtel Now offers a 10-day free trial. Check out our full Foxtel Now guide.
10-day free trial of Foxtel Now
No installation and no lock-in contract. New customers only. Sign up now.
beIN SPORTS
beIN SPORTS might be best known for its coverage of football, but it’s also a great place to catch major tennis tournaments. It will cover the men’s and women’s side of the BNP Paribas and Miami Opens. You can get a monthly subscription to beIN SPORTS for $19.99 per month or an annual pass for $179.99. If you’re a new customer, you can nab a 14-day free trial.
beIN is available in HD, offers a video-on-demand service, mini matches and highlights. It’s especially worth considering if you’re a big football fan, as it has comprehensive coverage of the European leagues.
Stream beIN SPORTS CONNECT free for 14 days
Watch some of the biggest football leagues in the world, rugby and tennis on beIN SPORTS CONNECT.
Other options for March sport
If only one of the sports listed here appeals to you, you might be better off grabbing a streaming service that focuses exclusively on that sport. Examples include Tennis TV ($19.99 per month) and F1 TV ($25 per month). In addition to live action, these services come with features like on-demand match replays, highlights and behind-the-scenes footage.
The biggest storylines in March sport
The NRL season kicks off with the Penrith Panthers looking to defend their hard-earned premiership, beginning with a round 1 match-up with Dally M Medalist Tom Trbojevic and the Manly Sea Eagles. In round 2, the Melbourne Storm will have a must-watch contest with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The 2021 AFL Premiership went the way of the Melbourne Demons, breaking a 57-year drought. Having won their final 2 matches by 83 and 74 points respectively, can anyone stand up to the Dees in 2022? Round 1 will see the Sydney Derby, a rematch of last year’s nail-biting elimination final.
The return of Formula 1 means seeing Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton racing again for the first time since last year’s shocking World Championship decider. In tennis, newly minted world number 1 Daniil Medvedev will take the stage in the BNP Paribas Open, as will Australia’s own world number 1, Ash Barty.
March will be an incredible month for sports streaming, so get your services together and don’t miss a second.
If you want even more info on sports streaming in Australia, check out our complete guide.
Image source: Kayo Sports website