Sky Sports has announced that every one of the twelve group‑stage matches featuring England, Scotland and Ireland, together with the semi‑finals and the championship match of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, will be available at no cost through the Sky Sports mobile application. This means that fans across the United Kingdom and Ireland can tune in to all of the home nations’ group‑stage games without needing a paid subscription, simply by downloading the latest version of the app on a smartphone or tablet. The tournament’s opening encounter – England versus Sri Lanka at Edgbaston on 12 June – will receive especially broad exposure.
In addition to being streamed for free on the Sky Sports App, the match will be shown live on Sky One, carried on Sky Sports’ official YouTube channel, and broadcast across the network’s linear television channels. The final, scheduled for Lord’s on Sunday 5 July, will also be simulcast on Sky Mix, giving viewers a free‑to‑air option for the climax of the competition. These distribution choices are designed to maximise the size of the audience and to encourage new fans to engage with women’s cricket. By removing the paywall for a large portion of the tournament, Sky Sports hopes to reach casual viewers who might not otherwise subscribe, while also providing a seamless viewing experience for dedicated supporters.
The approach aligns with the broader ambition to make women’s sport more visible and to build a lasting fan base for future editions of the event. The Sky Sports App can be downloaded directly from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app supports iOS 14 and newer, as well as Android 8 and newer, and it works best when accessed through the Chrome browser, which offers an accessible video player.
Once installed, users can simply log in with their Sky credentials or create a free account to start streaming the matches that are marked as free‑to‑watch. All other live cricket coverage, including matches that are not part of the free package, remains available to Sky Sports subscribers and NOW TV customers.
New Zealand enter the tournament as the defending champions, while England are eager to claim their first title since the inaugural edition in 2009, a tournament they also hosted. Historically, England’s recent performances have been modest: they were eliminated in the group stage in both 2010 and 2024. The 2026 competition therefore represents a significant opportunity for the host nation to rewrite that narrative and to showcase the growth of the women's game at home. As the exclusive broadcaster of the World Cup, Sky Sports and its streaming partner NOW will deliver comprehensive coverage from the first ball at Edgbaston to the final at Lord’s.
Expert commentary will be provided by former England captain Nasser Hussain, former England women’s cricketer Natasha Farrant, and Sky Sports presenter Hannah Wilkes, ensuring that viewers receive insightful analysis alongside the on‑field action. Beyond the World Cup, Sky Sports has lined up a summer of historic moments for women’s cricket.
The schedule includes the first women’s Test match ever to be played at Lord’s, featuring England against India beginning on 10 July, as well as the return of The Hundred later in the month. These events underline the broadcaster’s commitment to delivering a full slate of high‑profile women’s cricket content throughout the season. Jonathan Licht, Sky’s chief sports officer for the UK and Ireland, commented on the strategy: “We believe this summer can be a defining moment for women’s cricket. By making many of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup matches available to everyone, we can reach new audiences, build fandom and inspire the next generation.
At Sky Sports, we’re not just broadcasting women’s sport; we’re a partner in its growth, working with the ICC and ECB to make these moments as impactful as possible.” Sanjog Gupta, CEO of the International Cricket Council, added: “The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is positioned as a pinnacle event in global sport and a significant fan‑recruitment opportunity for women’s cricket. This is a significant step by Sky Sports, our partner in the UK, and aligns with our strategy to widen access for fans across screens and stadia.
The UK has a proud cricketing heritage, and moments like this, where the sport is accessible to everyone, on any screen, are how we garner attention and deepen affiliation, grow the next generation of fans, and ensure women’s cricket takes its rightful place in national and global sporting conversations.” Tournament director Beth Barrett‑Wild expressed enthusiasm for the inclusive broadcast plan: “The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 is set to bring world‑class players, incredible performances, and unmissable moments to brilliant venues across England and Wales, and we couldn’t be happier that even more people will be able to experience the spectacle live via this extensive Sky Sports coverage plan. With many of the biggest matches, including the opener at Edgbaston on 12 June and the final at Lord’s on 5 July, available to everybody, the stage is set for an incredible World Cup, where battles will be fought, names will be made and new fans will fall in love with women’s cricket forever.” The full schedule of free‑to‑watch matches is as follows (all times are UK & Ireland local time): Friday 12 June – England vs Sri Lanka, Edgbaston, 18:30 Saturday 13 June – Scotland vs Ireland, Old Trafford, 10:30 Saturday 13 June – Australia vs South Africa, Old Trafford, 14:30 Saturday 13 June – West Indies vs New Zealand, Hampshire Bowl, 18:30 Sunday 14 June – Bangladesh vs Netherlands, Edgbaston, 10:30 Sunday 14 June – India vs Pakistan, Edgbaston, 14:30 Tuesday 16 June – New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, Hampshire Bowl, 14:30 Tuesday 16 June – England vs Ireland, Hampshire Bowl, 18:30 Wednesday 17 June – Australia vs Bangladesh, Headingley, 10:30 Wednesday 17 June – India vs Netherlands, Headingley, 14:30 Wednesday 17 June – South Africa vs Pakistan, Edgbaston, 18:30 Thursday 18 June – West Indies vs Scotland, Headingley, 18:30 Friday 19 June – New Zealand vs Ireland, Hampshire Bowl, 18:30 Saturday 20 June – Australia vs Netherlands, Hampshire Bowl, 10:30 Saturday 20 June – Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Hampshire Bowl, 14:30 Saturday 20 June – England vs Scotland, Headingley, 18:30 Sunday 21 June – West Indies vs Sri Lanka, Bristol County Ground, 10:30 Sunday 21 June – South Africa vs India, Old Trafford, 14:30 Tuesday 23 June – New Zealand vs Scotland, Bristol County Ground, 10:30 Tuesday 23 June – Sri Lanka vs Ireland, Bristol County Ground, 14:30 Tuesday 23 June – Australia vs Pakistan, Headingley, 18:30 Wednesday 24 June – England vs West Indies, Lord’s, 18:30 Thursday 25 June – India vs Bangladesh, Old Trafford, 14:30 Thursday 25 June – South Africa vs Netherlands, Bristol County Ground, 18:30 Friday 26 June – Sri Lanka vs Scotland, Old Trafford, 18:30 Saturday 27 June – Pakistan vs Netherlands, Bristol County Ground, 10:30 Saturday 27 June – West Indies vs Ireland, Bristol County Ground, 14:30 Saturday 27 June – England vs New Zealand, The Oval, 18:30 Sunday 28 June – South Africa vs Bangladesh, Lord’s, 10:30 Sunday 28 June – Australia vs India, Lord’s, 14:30 Tuesday 30 June – Semi‑Final 1 (TBC vs TBC), The Oval, 14:30 Thursday 2 July – Semi‑Final 2 (TBC vs TBC), The Oval, 18:30 Sunday 5 July – Final (TBC vs TBC), Lord’s, 14:30 All of the matches highlighted in bold on the original schedule are the ones that can be accessed without a Sky Sports subscription via the app. For viewers who prefer traditional television, the same games will be available on Sky Sports’ linear channels and on the free‑to‑air Sky Mix service.
In addition to live streaming, Sky Sports offers a dedicated cricket podcast, a WhatsApp channel for updates, and a range of on‑demand highlights for fans who miss the live action. The broadcaster also encourages users to read its privacy notice and terms and conditions before using the app, ensuring transparency around data handling and usage rights. Overall, the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup promises a packed summer of elite cricket, with Sky Sports providing an accessible, subscription‑free gateway for millions of fans to experience the drama, skill, and excitement of the sport at its highest level.