NRL is something like a religion in Australia. Rugby league has long since exploded beyond its New South Wales origins and is now one of the country's most popular sports, with the 2025 season set to be a thriller as an entire division looks to stop Penrith Panthers from winning five in a row.
The NRL 2025 has weekly FREE matches in some countries. But don't worry if you're on vacation while you want to watch a match because you can watch live streams from anywhere with a VPN.
Dates: March 2 to October 5, 2025
► FREE STREAM — 9Now (Australia)
► U.S. — Fox Sports via Sling TV or Fubo
► U.K. — Sky Sports
► R.O.W. — Watch NRL
► Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free
All eyes will be on Penrith this season. The Panthers beat Melbourne Storm 14-6 in last year's Grand Final to become the first team since the St. George Dragons some six decades ago (in a vastly different footy era) to win four titles in a row, and they just know how to win.
For the second year running, two of the opening weekend's fixtures – Raiders vs Warriors and Panthers vs Sharks, plus Super League fixture Wigan Warriors vs Warrington Wolves – are being played at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, the new footy season is certainly getting off to a brilliant start.
You won’t want to miss a second of the action, so here’s how to watch NRL 2025 live streams no matter where you are.
NRL 2025 week 1 fixtures
- Raiders vs Warriors (Sun, March 2)
- Panthers vs Sharks (Sun, March 2)
- Roosters vs Broncos (Thur, March 6)
- Wests Tigers vs Knights (Fri, March 7)
- Dolphins vs Rabbitohs (Fri, March 7)
- Dragons vs Bulldogs (Sat, March 8)
- Sea Eagles vs Cowboys (Sat, March 8)
- Storm vs Eels (Sun, March 9)
- *Titans have a bye week
FREE NRL 2025 live streams
Rugby league fans in Australia can watch three matches a week for FREE on Channel 9 and the 9Now streaming service.
These will usually be Thursday night, second Friday night and Sunday afternoon games. That includes Panthers vs Sharks live from the opening weekend of fixtures in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, March 1 8.30 p.m. PT / 11.30 p.m. ET / 3.30 p.m. AEDT (Sun.)/ 4.30 a.m. GMT (Sun.)
But what if you're based in Australia but aren't at home to catch the NRL 2025 live streams? Don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Download and install a VPN - as we say, our top choice is NordVPN.
2. Connect to the appropriate server location - open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate location, eg: 'Australia' for 9Now.
3. Go to the broadcaster's stream - head to your home broadcaster's site or app and watch as if you were at home - 9Now for Aussies abroad.
NRL 2025 live streams around the world
Every NRL 2025 game will be streamed live online somewhere in the world. The trick is in finding out where.
In the U.K., U.S. and Canada, for example, only three games a week of the Regular Season will be shown.
However, if you're in Australia and have a subscription to Fox Sports, via Foxtel or Kayo Sports, you can watch 204 regular games, followed by the Finals Series. It's similar if you're not in Australia, New Zealand or the Pacific Islands, whereby you can subscribe to Watch NRL for a season to catch every fixture.
How to watch NRL 2025 live streams in the U.K.
How to watch NRL 2025 live streams in Australia
How to watch NRL 2025 live streams in the U.S.
Viewers in the U.S. can watch NRL 2025 live stream on Fox Sports, which is available with most cable TV packages.
Like the U.K., viewers in the U.S. will get three NRL Regular Season games a week, all NRLW Regular Season matches, every fixture of the Finals Series and every State Of Origin/Women’s State of Origin encounter, too.
For cord-cutters, one option is Sling TV. The Sling Blue package is priced from $50.99/month 50% off your first month) and it comes with more than 30 channels including USA.
Or you could go for Fubo. Its Pro Plan costs $79.99/month, though gives you 150+ channels for that hefty investment, including USA Network, plus lots more for sports fans to enjoy. USA is also on YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream.
If you're outside of the U.S. but have one of these subscriptions, you can watch an NRL 2025 live stream by using a VPN such as NordVPN.
How to watch NRL 2025 live streams in Canada
Sportsnet has the rights to the NRL 2025 in Canada, on the same deal as the U.K. and U.S., see above sections for more details.
To watch the NRL 2025 on Sportsnet and its streaming service SN Plus, you'll need a Sportsnet premium subscription. This requires a monthly subscription of CA$34.99 but comes with access to a whole host of other sports from across the world, including out-of-market NHL games, Premiership and Super League rugby. There's also an annual subscription that works out at around CA$20.99 a month.
If you live in Canada and already subscribe to Sportsnet, but aren't at home right now, you can still watch an NRL 2025 live stream by using a quality VPN like NordVPN.
How to watch NRL 2025 live streams in New Zealand
How to watch NRL 2025 live streams in the rest of the world
NRL 2025 predictions
The big question in NRL 2025, though, is how the Panthers will cope with the losses of star five-eighth Jarome Luai and forward James Fisher-Harris? They have joined Wests Tigers and Warriors, respectively, while Eels youngster Blaize Talagi has come in. But with Penrith Stadium undergoing redevlopment, how will they cope?
The Storm are again expected to provide the Panthers' biggest test. The Melbourne side even started last season's Grand Final as favorites after topping the table to win the Minor Championship, only to fall at the final hurdle. Power prop Stefano Utoikamanu has joined the squad in the close season. Sualauvi Fa’alogo, Tyran Wishart, Jack Howarth and Shawn Blore are all now a year more experienced and will be motivated by defeat to take that last step to a first title since 2017.
Elsewhere, Manly Sea Eagles' hopes will again rest on the fitness of Tom Trbojevic, who is the star in one of the best NRL backlines there is. Season-ending injuries have been a problem for the fullback, but youngster Lehi Hopoate's emergence will help.
New Zealand must deal with the loss of Addin Fonua-Blake Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the retirements of Shaun Johnson and Tohu Harris, but signing Fisher-Harris is a step in the right direction. The aforementioned Sharks have strengthened well and are always there or thereabouts come season's end.
Who are the past NRL Grand Final winners?
1998 – Brisbane Broncos
1999 – Melbourne Storm
2000 – Brisbane Broncos
2001 – Newcastle Knights
2002 – Sydney Roosters
2003 – Penrith Panthers
2004 – Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
2005 – Wests Tigers
2006 – Brisbane Broncos
2007 – Melbourne Storm
2008 – Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
2009 – Melbourne Storm
2010 – St. George Illawarra Dragons
2011 – Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
2012 – Melbourne Storm
2013 – Sydney Roosters
2014 – South Sydney Rabbitohs
2015 – North Queensland Cowboys
2016 – Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
2017 – Melbourne Storm
2018 – Sydney Roosters
2019 – Sydney Roosters
2020 – Melbourne Storm
2021 – Penrith Panthers
2022 – Penrith Panthers
2023 – Penrith Panthers
2024 – Penrith Panthers
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Disclaimer
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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