The Australian Open might look a little different this year if you’re livestreaming it on YouTube. That’s because the tournament has put an animated overlay on some of its matches to avoid broadcast licensing conflicts,

The Australian Open's official YouTube channel will feature select matches in animated form for free throughout the tournament. Played on virtual courts, the animation will mimic what is happening in real-time with human commentary describing the action.

The 2025 Australian Open runs from Sunday, Jan. 12 to Sunday, Jan. 26. However, due to the time difference in The Land Down Under, match start times will be a bit wonky for U.S. viewers, meaning the first major tennis tournament of the year will start airing coverage at 7 p.m. ET on Jan. 11 in U.S. timezones.

ESPN holds the rights for live coverage of the Australian Open in the US, with coverage spread out across both ESPN and ESPN2. If you don't have a cable or satellite TV subscription, you can watch the tennis tournament with a live TV streaming service. All five of the major services offer ESPN.

Learn moreThe Australian Open is back for the 113th time to help kick off the 2025 ATP and WTA seasons. We've compiled everything you need to know about where to watch the Australian Open, including free live streaming options.

Full broadcast details for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, including free-to-air TV channel and live stream.