How to Watch the 2026 US Open in the UK: Sky Sports, NOW and Start Times

Where to Watch the 2026 US Open in the UK

UK viewers can watch the 2026 US Open live on Sky Sports from August 30 to September 13. Sky Sports Tennis is the main linear channel, Sky Sports+ carries the simultaneous match streams, and NOW provides the paid no-long-contract route for viewers who do not take a standard Sky television package.

The distinction between “channel” and “coverage” is important at a Grand Slam. Sky Sports Tennis can show one produced feed at a time, while singles, doubles and other events may be running on many courts. Sky says any match is available through Sky Sports+, so a fan following one player should expect to use the match picker rather than wait for the linear broadcast to switch courts.

NOW is not a separate tennis broadcaster. It is a way to stream Sky Sports without taking the usual television contract, so the tournament rights and match feeds still come from Sky. “No contract” also does not mean free: a current Sports Membership is required. Prices and promotions can move, which is why this guide focuses on duration and access rather than a price that may expire.

This answer applies specifically to the UK and the 2026 tournament. Channel emphasis can change when other major sport overlaps, and a featured match may appear on Sky Sports Main Event as well as Tennis. Use the site's US Open watch guide for the current overview, then confirm the named match and court before play. The later sections explain UK start times, Sky Sports+ navigation and which NOW duration fits a two-week event.

UK Start Times: Day Sessions, Night Sessions and BST

The useful rule for British viewers is simple: throughout the 2026 US Open, the UK is five hours ahead of New York. New York is on EDT (UTC-4), while the UK is on BST (UTC+1). That turns a normal 11am New York start into 4pm in Britain and a 7pm night session into midnight. The second conversion also changes the calendar date in the UK, which is the detail most likely to cause a missed match.

Day sessions usually enter the UK afternoon

Sky’s current tournament guide describes the broad pattern as day sessions beginning at 4pm BST. Treat that as a planning baseline, not a promise that every court starts together. Arthur Ashe Stadium often has an 11:30am local start, or 4:30pm BST, and the published opening-day order for August 30 lists Ashe from 5pm while Louis Armstrong begins from 4pm. The official event schedule also flags date-specific exceptions later in the fortnight. Use our 2026 US Open schedule to understand the round, then check the daily order of play for the actual court and match.

Night sessions belong to the next UK date

If a session is billed for Sunday at 7pm in New York, a British viewer starts watching at 12am on Monday. Calendar alerts, recording windows and a NOW Day Membership should therefore use the UK date, not the date printed at the top of the US order of play. A Day Membership lasts 24 hours from activation, so this rollover can matter when deciding when to start it.

Do not infer first ball from the beginning of a TV listing. Sky may come on air before play for build-up, and a delayed previous match can push the next one back. Tennis also has no fixed finishing time: a competitive night match can continue well beyond 2am or 3am BST. Check the latest court order shortly before coverage, allow for overruns, and regard every published time as subject to change.

Sky Sports Tennis, Sky Sports+ and the Sky Sports App

Sky offers three related ways to follow the tournament. Sky Sports Tennis is the produced linear feed, Sky Sports+ is the court picker when matches overlap, and the Sky Sports app puts extra streams, scores and live text in one event centre. Access follows your Sky Sports subscription; none is a free public stream.

Use the linear channel when you want Sky to choose

Sky’s tournament guide published on August 30 lists Sky Sports Tennis on channel 407. It lists the Sky Sports+ linear destination as 410 for Sky Glass and 412 for Sky Q, with 416 for customers in the Republic of Ireland. Channel positions can vary by platform and can change, however, so searching “US Open” in the live guide is safer than memorising a number. Our UK TV schedule is the better starting point for today’s coverage window.

The main feed suits a television left on through the afternoon or evening. It will not necessarily show the British player or outside-court contest you consider the biggest match. That production choice does not mean the other match is unavailable.

Use Sky Sports+ when two courts overlap

Sky says any US Open match is available through Sky Sports+. On Sky Q, Glass or Stream, open the Sports area or US Open event centre and select the court tile. On a compatible phone or tablet, sign in to the Sky Sports app, choose Watch, then enter the tournament event centre. Check that the account has the required Sky Sports entitlement before match time; app access depends on the package, and live viewing is geographically restricted to the UK and Ireland.

A practical split-screen routine is to keep Sky Sports Tennis on the main television and put the second match on a compatible device through Sky Sports+. If you cannot watch another screen, the app and website’s live scores and commentary can track the alternate court. Use Watch Today to identify the live matches before opening the relevant Sky tile.

Watching on NOW: Day or Month Membership, Devices and Picture Quality

NOW is the straightforward route if you want Sky’s US Open coverage without adding Sky TV. Its Sports Membership carries all 12 Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports+ streams, so it is not merely the single Sky Sports Tennis feed. The useful choice is between paying for one precisely timed 24-hour window and taking coverage across the tournament. Check the live checkout terms rather than relying on an old quoted price, because offers and renewal conditions can change.

Choose Day for one window and Month for the fortnight

The UK date rollover matters before buying Day access. A Sunday night session in New York begins at midnight Monday in Britain, and purchasing on Sunday afternoon would use several hours before first ball. Open our US Open calendar, confirm the latest order of play, then activate close to the first match you actually intend to watch. The main UK watch guide can help you identify the correct Sky Sports+ event stream.

Match picture quality and simultaneous streams to your setup

Those are maximums, not guarantees for every match feed. Boost and Ultra Boost features depend on the content and device; NOW recommends at least 12Mbps for Boost and 30Mbps for Ultra Boost. Its app supports selected smart TVs, phones, computers and major PlayStation and Xbox consoles, but verify your exact model before paying. If two people want different courts at once, standard access will not suffice. Also remember that the “ad-free” add-on language does not remove advertising carried within live sport and live channels.

2026 US Open UK TV Times by Round

The timetable below converts the published New York session starts into British Summer Time. It is a viewing planner, not a fixed promise for an individual player: early-round courts can begin at different times, a previous match can overrun, and Sky’s studio coverage may start before first ball. All times are BST and current as of August 30, 2026.

Early rounds require a court-by-court check

The first round is spread across three days, followed by two days for each singles round through the quarterfinals. The familiar 4pm and midnight pattern comes from normal 11am and 7pm sessions in New York, but Arthur Ashe or an outside court can have a different opening time. On September 9, the published session pattern moves to 11:30am and 7:30pm locally, hence 4:30pm and 12:30am in Britain.

This is when Sky Sports+ is most valuable: dozens of singles matches overlap during the opening days, while the linear channel can show only one produced feed at a time. Check the current UK TV schedule for coverage, then the official daily order of play for the player, court and position in the sequence. The US Open says a day’s detailed match schedule is released the day before play.

The semifinals and finals have cleaner appointment times

The women’s semifinal session is scheduled for 7pm Thursday in New York, which means midnight at the start of Friday, September 11 in the UK. The men’s semifinals on Friday are planned for 3pm and 7pm EDT—8pm Friday and midnight at the start of Saturday for British viewers. Budget for a long night because the second semifinal cannot finish at a predictable hour.

Finals weekend is friendlier to UK sleep schedules. The women’s singles final is listed for 4pm New York time on Saturday, or 9pm BST. The men’s singles final is 2pm Sunday in New York, or 7pm BST. Our US Open finals guide keeps those championship-session details together. Recheck on match day: tournament start times and broadcast allocations remain subject to change.

A Practical UK Viewing Plan for Two Weeks of New York Tennis

A reliable routine needs the player’s court assignment, the correct BST date and the Sky stream carrying that court. The US Open releases its detailed match schedule the day before play, so a quick evening check prevents most wrong-channel and midnight-date mistakes.

Set up the account and devices before your target session

• Choose a full-tournament Sky/NOW option or reserve a NOW Day Membership for one exact 24-hour window.
• Sign in on the television or app you will use and confirm that the subscription entitlement appears.
• Check whether your plan supports enough simultaneous streams if your household wants two courts.
• Add fixed semifinal and final starts from the UK calendar, but keep alerts editable.

Do not buy a Day Membership merely to test the interface: it starts immediately and cannot be paused. Verify device compatibility first and activate close to the coverage you want.

Repeat this match-day check

1. Open the latest order of play once it is published and note the court plus the match’s position—“third match” is not a precise start time.
2. Convert the New York session to BST and, for a night session, move the reminder to the next UK calendar date.
3. Compare that assignment with Watch Today and Sky’s current listing. TV coverage can start before first ball.
4. Use Sky Sports Tennis for the featured feed or enter the Sky Sports+ US Open event centre for another court.
5. Check again shortly before play for overruns, weather delays or a revised court assignment.

Plan the late nights instead of losing sleep by accident

Pick one must-watch midnight match rather than following every court until dawn. If matches overlap, put the priority contest on the main screen and use a second stream only if your package allows it. Otherwise, follow the official score or Sky’s live text and review the results page the next morning. Full-match catch-up is not guaranteed for every outside court.

The one-minute version is: check the fresh court order, use the UK date, open the correct Sky Sports+ tile and allow time for the previous match to finish. That habit is more dependable than any static two-week TV grid.