Being a tennis fan, Wimbledon holds a special place in my heart that goes beyond its Grand Slam status. With the 2024 tournament running from July 1st through July 14th, I’m excited to catch all the action. Like many other tennis enthusiasts, I’ll be watching every match I can, and I’ve discovered that I don’t need a cable subscription to do so.
In a hurry? ESPN and its related properties will air all of Wimbledon. There are several good options for streaming but our first is certainly the best:
- Fubo: The best streaming service for international sports also provides 150+ well-selected channels. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
- DIRECTV STREAM: Get a great channel lineup with the best selection of RSNs in the industry. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
- Sling TV: This low-cost service allows you to select just the channel lineup you want. Save $25 on Sling TV now.
If you can’t watch your favorite sports because of your location, get ExpressVPN to access the content you deserve.
Table Of Contents
Wimbledon is regarded by many as the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament. It is the oldest, first held in 1877, and the only Grand Slam event on grass.
It’s also famous for its many traditions such as spectators eating strawberries and cream and the players wearing white uniforms (a rule strictly enforced by officials).
Where to Watch Wimbledon
Those in the US can watch Wimbledon through ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+, while ABC shows archived broadcasts of the men’s and women’s finals.
ABC actually introduced this competition to Americans. It initially showed highlights during an episode of Wide World of Sports episode in 1963. After that, NBC, HBO, TNT, and ESPN had coverage in many of the intervening years. ESPN took sole possession in 2012.
Meanwhile, fans based in the UK can watch the action on the BBC, with matches broadcast on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Red Button, BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC iPlayer, and BBC online. Eurosport also broadcasts Wimbledon in the UK.
Rights vary elsewhere in the world. For example, Canadians can watch Wimbledon on TSN, Aussies can do so on the Nine Network, and New Zealanders can view play on Sky Sports.
Meanwhile, those in many areas of Europe can watch on Eurosport while beIN Sports is the home for Wimbledon in France and the Middle East.
Ways to Watch Wimbledon Without Cable
Americans have numerous options when deciding how to stream Wimbledon matches.
Fubo
Fubo ($79.99/month) is another solid multi-channel streaming service that offers access to ESPN, ESPN2, and numerous other sports-oriented and general-interest channels. However, you would need to pay separately for access to ESPN+ ($10.99/month) and complete Wimbledon coverage.
Fubo comes with unlimited cloud DVR storage and ten simultaneous streams. See our Fubo review for details.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM offers ESPN and ESPN2 through its Entertainment plan ($79.99/month). Also included in that rate are channels such as Fox Sports 1 (FS1), but you would need to get its Choice plan ($108.99/month) to access the Tennis Channel. ESPN+ access would need to be purchased separately for $10.99/month.
DIRECTV STREAM comes with unlimited cloud DVR storage as long as you sign-up online and it does allow you to stream on unlimited devices at once. For more, see our DIRECTV STREAM review.
Sling TV
The Sling Orange plan ($40.00/month) features ESPN and ESPN2 in addition to other channels that may be of interest to you, such as TBS and TNT. Combining this with an ESPN+ subscription ($10.99/month) is your cheapest option for securing complete access to Wimbledon.
Sling TV provides 50 hours of cloud DVR storage but limits you to a single screen with this plan. See our Sling TV review for more information, or visit our guide to watching Wimbledon and the Wimbledon Finals with Sling.
Hulu + Live TV
The best option for watching Wimbledon is Hulu + Live TV ($76.99/month). This is because it not only offers ESPN, ESPN2, and several other channels that show tennis and other sporting events. Its base plan also includes access to ESPN+.
Get Hulu + Live TV for $59.99 Monthly
Hulu Live comes with unlimited cloud DVR (9 month storage) and the ability to stream on up to two devices at once. For more information, see our Hulu + Live TV review.
Other Streaming Services
ESPN is widely available from streaming services so there are other options.
- YouTube TV ($72.99/month): Provides a plan similar to Hulu + Live TV although it lacks ESPN+.
Outside the US
Unfortunately, many of the streaming services that are available in the US are not accessible elsewhere. ESPN+ is included in that group. However, many based elsewhere can secure streaming access to Wimbledon through other means.
For example, Brits are taken care of as the BBC provides streaming access to this competition. Additionally, Eurosport offers Wimbledon streams to many Europeans who subscribe to its service.
Meanwhile, those in Australia can watch Wimbledon through 9Now while Sky Sport Now is what New Zealanders need.
Streaming Devices to Watch the Wimbledon Live
Most streaming devices are supported by the live TV services we’ve discussed: Amazon Fire TV, Android mobile, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Samsung smart TVs, and web browsers.
Hulu, Fubo and Sling also support Android TV, LG smart TVs, and Xbox gaming systems. Hulu and Fubo support Vizio smart TVs. Hulu also supports PlayStation units. DIRECTV STREAM offers its own device, which can be useful for people just making the switch from cable.
Other streaming devices are supported to a lesser extent. See our reviews for details.
Wimbledon
Wimbledon started in 1877 with a men’s singles competition. This consisted of a 22-player all-British field.
Spencer Gore defeated William Marshall, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4, in the final in front of 200 spectators. This historic moment occurred nine years after the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon’s organizing body, was founded.
The inaugural women’s singles competition took place in 1884. Maud Wilson outlasted a 13-player field to win the tournament. She her first two matches in straight sets. But she was tested in her semifinal and final contests, rallying from a set down in both. She claimed the final, 6-8, 6-3, 6-3, over Lilian Watson.
A significant change occurred in 1922. In nearly all prior years, whoever won the title the previous edition only had to claim one match to repeat as champion, against whoever outlasted the rest of the field through several rounds of play. Now, they enter the main draw with everyone else.
Another change occurred in 1968 when professionals were initially allowed to take part.
Today, 128 men and 128 women participate in its singles competitions, playing through seven rounds to decide the winners. Doubles, junior, and wheelchair events are held here as well.
Nineteen courts are in use during the fortnight, and two, Centre Court and No. 1 Court, can be protected from wet or hot weather conditions by their retractable roofs.
Middle Sunday Play Starting in 2022
One of Wimbledon’s traditions used to include the middle Sunday not being a match day. There were exceptions when weather or other delays backed up the schedule enough to necessitate it being used. This occurred in 1991, 1997, 2004, and 2016.
This is no longer the case though. Starting in 2022, the middle Sunday is treated as a regular match day.
Many preferred having that middle Sunday off, for tradition and rest-related reasons. A benefit to it being a regular match day though is that top women’s players no longer have to play their round of 16 and quarterfinal matches on back-to-back days, on the following Monday and Tuesday.
Generally, players now all enjoy a regular one-day-on, one-day-off playing schedule.
Tiebreakers in Deciding Set Implemented at 12-12
In 2010, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played what many view as the most epic match in the sport’s history. With no tiebreakers being implemented in the final set at that time, there was no ceiling on how long theirs or any Wimbledon match could go.
And theirs went to levels never seen before. Isner prevailed, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68, in a match that lasted 11 hours and five minutes, making it the longest in tennis history by both games played and time contested.
Partially as a result of that, Wimbledon officials implemented a tiebreaker in the final set once it reaches 12-12, ensuring that there is a ceiling as far as how long these matches can last. That rule change was put into effect in 2019.
Grass Courts
Wimbledon is the last Grand Slam event to be played on grass. It didn’t always stand out in that respect though: the Australian Open had been played on that surface until 1988, while the US Open was contested on grass until 1975.
Grass’ effects on the sport include a faster-paced ball that experiences lower bounces. Tennis players with good serves and solid net play tend to experience more success here.
Grand Slam
Wimbledon is the third Grand Slam event of the year. The first one is the Australian Open, which takes place in the middle of the summer (as it’s a Southern Hemisphere country), in January.
The next one is the French Open (on Sling TV), which is scheduled just before Wimbledon, in May and June. Wimbledon then follows in July.
The Grand Slam portion of the tennis season ends in September with the US Open.
Wimbledon 2024 Schedule
The 2024 Wimbledon tournament starts on July 1st and runs through July 14th. Matches are expected to air according to the following schedule:
- Mon 1 July, – Singles First Round (ESPN)
- Tue 2 July, – Singles First Round (ESPN)
- Wed 3 July, – Second Round (ESPN)
- Thu 4 July, – Second Round (ESPN)
- Fri 5 July, – Third Round (ESPN)
- Sat 6 July, – Third Round (ESPN / ABC)
- Sun 7 July, – Fourth Round (ESPN / ABC)
- Mon 8 July, – Fourth Round (ESPN / ESPN2)
- Tue 9 July, – Quarterfinals (ESPN / ESPN2)
- Wed 10 July, – Quarterfinals (ESPN / ESPN2)
- Thu 11 July, – Semifinals, Mixed Doubles Final (ESPN)
- Fri 12 July, – Semifinals (ESPN)
- Sat 13 July, – Finals (ESPN / ABC)
- Sun 14 July, – Finals (ESPN / ABC)
Wrapping Up
US-based tennis fans looking for the cheapest option to watch Wimbledon should get the Sling Orange plan ($40.00/month) and ESPN+ ($10.99/month). But our top pick is Hulu + Live TV, which includes ESPN+ access in its $76.99/month base rate.
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My expertise in sports coverage, particularly for out-of-market games and regional sports networks, stems from years of hands-on experience as an early adopter of streaming services and my work addressing fans' viewing challenges. As a longtime cord-cutter and subscriber to multiple streaming platforms, I combine my technical knowledge with practical user experience, making me a leading expert in the field of sports streaming and entertainment technology.
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