Spring Sports on TV 2026: What to Watch in the UK From Late March to May

Spring 2026: A Golden Period for UK Sports Fans

Late March through May is arguably the best stretch of the sporting calendar for UK viewers. Multiple seasons overlap, title races heat up, and new campaigns begin. Whether you are a football obsessive, a motorsport fan, or someone who watches a bit of everything, there is live sport on television almost every hour of every day.

Here is your guide to what is on, when it is on, and where to watch it. You can always check our sport-specific pages for daily TV listings and kick-off times.

Premier League: The Title Race Run-In

The Premier League season enters its decisive phase from late March, with the final eight to ten matchdays separating contenders from pretenders. This is when every dropped point matters, and the fixture schedule intensifies with midweek rounds squeezed in around European commitments and FA Cup semi-finals.

For UK viewers, the coverage across the final weeks of the season is extensive. The key dates to mark in your diary are the final day of the season (typically the last weekend of May) and any midweek fixture rounds in April.

Broadcaster	What They Show	How to Watch
Sky Sports	Majority of live matches, including Super Sunday and Monday Night Football	Sky subscription or NOW Sports day/month pass
TNT Sports	Saturday 12:30pm kick-off and selected midweek matches	TNT Sports subscription (via BT, EE, Sky, or discovery+)
Amazon Prime Video	Selected full match rounds (typically midweek fixtures)	Amazon Prime membership
BBC (Match of the Day)	Highlights of all Saturday and Sunday matches	Free on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

The final day of the season is a spectacle in its own right. All matches kick off simultaneously at the same time, and Sky Sports typically shows every game across multiple channels. If the title, European places, or relegation are still undecided, it makes for one of the most dramatic afternoons in sport. Check our football fixtures page for daily Premier League TV listings.

Formula 1: The New Era Begins

The 2026 F1 season brings the biggest regulation changes in a generation. New power units, revised aerodynamic rules, and active aerodynamics mean the competitive order could be completely reshuffled. The opening races in March set the early narrative, but spring is when teams begin to find their feet and the true pecking order emerges.

Races in April and May take the calendar through a mix of classic European circuits and newer venues. With new regulations often come surprise results, so do not assume last year's frontrunners will stay on top.

Broadcaster	Coverage	How to Watch
Sky Sports F1	Every session live: practice, qualifying, sprint, and race	Sky subscription or NOW Sports pass
Channel 4	Race highlights and selected live races	Free on Channel 4 and Channel4.com

If you do not have a Sky subscription, Channel 4 provides excellent highlights coverage presented by a knowledgeable team. The highlights show typically airs on Sunday evening after each race. For full live coverage of every session, Sky Sports F1 is the only option in the UK. Visit our motorsport fixtures page for upcoming race times and channels.

Champions League: Quarter-Finals and Beyond

The Champions League quarter-finals take place in April, with the semi-finals following later that month and into early May. This is when the competition truly ignites, with two-legged knockout ties producing some of the most dramatic football of the season.

For UK viewers, coverage is split between TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video. If English clubs are still involved (which has been the case in most recent seasons), the interest and viewing figures spike significantly during these rounds.

Round	Dates
Quarter-final first legs	7/8 April 2026
Quarter-final second legs	14/15 April 2026
Semi-final first legs	28/29 April 2026
Semi-final second legs	5/6 May 2026
Final (Budapest)	Saturday 30 May 2026

All Champions League knockout matches kick off at 8:00pm UK time. For a full breakdown of broadcaster details, see our Champions League knockout stages guide.

Cricket: The County Season Returns

After a long winter, the English cricket season traditionally begins in April with the County Championship. For many fans, the return of red-ball cricket at county grounds across the country is one of the true markers that spring has arrived.

Sky Sports Cricket holds the rights to international and domestic cricket in the UK. County Championship matches receive increasing coverage, and any early-season international fixtures (such as touring sides arriving for warm-up matches) are also shown live.

The early weeks of the county season often coincide with the Indian Premier League (IPL), which runs from late March through May. The IPL is broadcast on Sky Sports Cricket in the UK, with matches typically starting in the afternoon or early evening UK time.

Competition	Approximate Dates	UK Broadcaster
County Championship	Early April onwards	Sky Sports Cricket (selected matches)
Indian Premier League (IPL)	Late March to late May	Sky Sports Cricket

Check our cricket fixtures page for daily listings of what cricket is on television today.

Horse Racing: Grand National and the Flat Season

The Grand National at Aintree (9 to 11 April) is the centrepiece of the spring horse racing calendar, and the biggest betting event of the year. The entire three-day festival is free to watch on ITV. For a detailed breakdown of the schedule and how to watch, see our Grand National 2026 guide.

Beyond the National, spring marks the transition from jump racing to the Flat season. The Guineas meeting at Newmarket in early May is the first Classic of the Flat season and always draws strong ITV coverage.

Tennis: The Clay Court Swing

From mid-April, the tennis tour moves onto clay for the build-up to the French Open. The Monte Carlo Masters, Madrid Open, and Italian Open are all shown on Sky Sports Tennis in the UK. These tournaments often produce dramatic matches and upsets, as clay specialists thrive and hard-court stars adjust to the slower surface.

For a broader look at Grand Slam broadcasting, see our tennis Grand Slam TV guide. You can also check our tennis fixtures page for daily TV listings.

What Else Is On?

Spring is packed with more sport beyond the headline events. Here is a quick rundown of other competitions worth watching:

Sport	What to Watch	UK Broadcaster
Golf	The Masters (April), PGA Tour events	Sky Sports Golf
Boxing	Major title fights and undercards	Sky Sports, DAZN, TNT Sports
Rugby	Premiership Rugby run-in, Champions Cup quarter-finals	TNT Sports, ITV (Premiership final)
Cycling	Spring Classics (Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege), Giro d'Italia (May)	Eurosport / discovery+
Snooker	World Snooker Championship (mid-April to early May)	BBC (free-to-air)
Darts	Premier League Darts continues through spring	Sky Sports
Basketball	NBA Playoffs (mid-April onwards)	Sky Sports, NBA League Pass

The World Snooker Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield is a particular highlight. It is broadcast entirely free on the BBC over 17 days and is one of the great sporting spectacles, with long matches that build incredible tension and drama.

How to Keep Track of It All

With so much sport happening simultaneously, it can be difficult to know what is on each day. That is exactly what our site is for. You can browse by sport, by date, or simply check the homepage to see everything that is live on UK television today.

For sport-specific listings, use our dedicated pages: football, cricket, tennis, motorsport, rugby, golf, and boxing. Each page shows today's fixtures with TV channels and kick-off times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best sport to watch on UK TV this spring?

It depends on your preferences, but the Premier League title run-in (Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Amazon Prime) and the Champions League knockout rounds (TNT Sports, Amazon Prime) are the biggest draws for most viewers. For free-to-air sport, the Grand National (ITV) and World Snooker Championship (BBC) are the standout events.

What free sport is on TV in spring 2026?

The Grand National Festival (ITV, 9 to 11 April), Match of the Day highlights (BBC), Channel 4 F1 highlights, and the World Snooker Championship (BBC, mid-April to early May) are all free-to-air. The Guineas meeting at Newmarket is also on ITV.

When does the cricket season start in 2026?

The County Championship typically begins in early April. The IPL runs from late March through May and is shown on Sky Sports Cricket in the UK. England's international home summer schedule usually starts in May or June, depending on the touring schedule.

Do I need multiple subscriptions to watch everything?

To watch the broadest range of live sport, you would need Sky Sports (Premier League, F1, cricket, golf, tennis, boxing), TNT Sports (Champions League, selected Premier League, rugby), and Amazon Prime (selected Champions League and Premier League). However, a significant amount of spring sport is available free-to-air on BBC, ITV, and Channel 4. For a comparison of streaming services and costs, see our sports streaming guide.

What F1 races are on in spring 2026?

The 2026 F1 season runs from March through December, with races roughly every two weeks. Spring typically features a mix of European and international circuits. Check our motorsport page for the full schedule with UK TV times. For a broader look at how to watch F1 worldwide, see our F1 broadcasting guide.