Seven new world records have already been set this season, and Faith Kipyegon, Karsten Warholm and Shericka Jackson look the likeliest candidates to push the envelope even further at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, the most important track and field meet of the year.
Read on and we'll show you how to watch the 2023 World Athletics Championships from anywhere with a VPN, and potentially for FREE.
The 2023 World Athletics Championships take place from Saturday (Aug. 19) to Sunday (Aug. 27). Full schedule below.
► U.K. — BBC iPlayer (FREE)
► Australia — SBS on Demand (FREE)
► Canada — CBC Gem (FREE)
► U.S. — Peacock, NBC, CNBC and USA Network
► Watch anywhere — Try ExpressVPN 100% risk free
Medal events will take place on each and every day of the championships, the heart of which is the purpose-built National Athletics Centre on the bank of the Danube in Budapest, Hungary. Only the marathons and race walks will be held outside the 36,000-capacity venue.
One rivalry dominates the running track above all others, and makes the women's 100m and 200m absolute must-watch races. Jamaica's Shericka Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah and the USA's Sha'Carri Richardson will go head-to-head in both events, and with reigning 100m champion Fraser-Pryce set to turn 37 this year, this may well be the last time we see all four women in action at the World Athletics Championships.
Two of those aforementioned world records were set by Faith Kipyegon, who unlocked fresh levels of excellence in both the 1,500m and 5,000m this past June. The Kenyan is taking part in both events in Budapest, and she'll cross paths with the equally extraordinary Sifan Hassan in the 5,000m.
A world record may be a step too far for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who's set the fastest 400m hurdles time at four World Athletics Championships, but there's palpable excitement about her 400m debut, in which the American will hope to keep stride with the race favorite, the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino.
Read on as we explain how to watch a FREE 2023 World Athletics Championships live stream from anywhere with a VPN. We’ve also listed the full schedule below so you won't miss a medal.
FREE World Athletics Championships live streams
If you live in the U.K., Australia, or Canada, then you can look forward to FREE World Athletics Championships live streams in 2023.
That's because the free-to-air BBC and its BBC iPlayer streaming service in the U.K., SBS Viceland and its SBS on Demand streaming service in Australia, and CBC Sports and its CBC Gem streaming service in Canada all have rights to the action.
But what if you're based in one of those countries but aren't at home to catch that free World Athletics Championships coverage? Maybe you're on holiday and don't want to spend money on pay TV in another country, when you'd usually be able to watch for free at home?
Don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below.
World Athletics Championships live streams around the world
It's only natural that you might want to watch a World Athletics Championships live stream from your home country, but what if you're not there when the event is on?
Look no further than a VPN, or virtual private network. A VPN makes it look as if you're surfing the web from your home country, rather than the one you're in. That means you can access the streaming services you already pay for, from anywhere on Earth. Or anywhere that has an internet connection, at least.
For instance, an Australian who's currently in the U.S. could watch World Athletics Championships live streams free on SBS on Demand even though they're not in Oz.
VPNs are totally legal, inexpensive and easy to use. We've tested the best VPN services and our favorite right now is ExpressVPN. It's fast, works on loads of devices and even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view a British service, you'd select U.K. from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to BBC iPlayer or another website and watch the World Athletics Championships.
How to watch World Athletics Championships live streams in the U.S.
If you're in the U.S., coverage of the World Athletics Championships is split between Peacock, NBC, CNBC and USA Network.
NBC can be accessed with one of the best TV antennas, while CNBC and USA Network are available in some cable packages.
If you've cut the cord and don't have cable, you can watch World Athletics Championships 2023 via several live TV services, including NBC's own Peacock, plus Sling TV and Fubo.
Of these options, we recommend Peacock: It costs just $5.99/month with ads, or $11.99 without, and includes lots more great content in addition to World Athletics Championships live streams.
If you go the Sling TV route, you'll want Sling Blue, which costs from $40 per month and comes with more than 40 channels, including NBC (in select regions) and USA Network. And right now, Sling is offering 50% off your first month. CNBC is available via a $6 per month addon.
Fubo, meanwhile, costs $75 per month for 161 channels, including NBC, CNBC and USA Network. Sports fans will find a number of niche sports channels among its lineup.
If you already use those services but aren't in the U.S. right now, you can watch World Athletics Championships live streams by using a good VPN. And if, for whatever reason, you can't get it working, do remember that you have the comfort of a 30-day money-back guarantee with ExpressVPN.
How to watch World Athletics Championships live streams in the U.K.
In the U.K., the majority of the World Athletics Championships action is being shown across BBC One, BBC Two and via the BBC Red Button.
That means you can watch a World Athletics Championships live stream for free on BBC iPlayer, which is free to use and works across a wide range of devices including smart TVs, laptops, games consoles, mobile phones, tablets and streaming sticks.
If you're currently traveling overseas, don't worry, as you can use ExpressVPN to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad.
Should you want to watch every event and don't mind splashing out a bit of money for more comprehensive coverage, then you may want to try Discovery Plus.
A Discovery Plus subscription costs £6.99 per month or £59.99 for the year, and lets you tune in on a wide range of devices, as well as the Eurosport TV channels.
How to watch World Athletics Championships live streams in Canada
As mentioned above, fans in Canada can watch the World Athletics Championships on CBC Sports and the channel's CBC Gem streaming service. CBC Gem is free (with ads) or CAD $4.99 a month (ad-free).
If you live in Canada but aren't at home right now, you can still watch a World Athletics Championships live stream by using a quality VPN like ExpressVPN.
How to watch World Athletics Championships live streams in Australia
As you may already be aware, Aussies can watch the World Athletics Championships for free on SBS Viceland and SBS on Demand.
Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN, such as ExpressVPN, to watch the World Athletics Championships on your SBS account, as if you were back home.
World Athletics Championships 2023 schedule and events
(All dates local)
- Men’s 100m: 19-20 August
- Women’s 100m: 20-21 August
- Men’s 200m: 23-25 August
- Women’s 200m: 23-25 August
- Men’s 400m: 20-24 August
- Women’s 400m: 20-23 August
- Men’s 800m: 22-26 August
- Women’s 800m: 23-27 August
- Men’s 1,500m: 19-23 August
- Women’s 1,500m: 19-22 August
- Men’s 5,000m: 24-27 August
- Women’s 5,000m: 23-26 August
- Men’s 10,000m: 20 August
- Women’s 10,000m: 19 August
- Men’s Marathon: 27 August
- Women’s Marathon: 26 August
- Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase: 19-22 August
- Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase: 23-27 August
- Women’s 100m Hurdles: 22-24 August
- Men’s 110m Hurdles: 20-21 August
- Men’s 400m Hurdles: 20-23 August
- Women’s 400m Hurdles: 21-24 August
- Women’s Heptathlon: 19-20 August
- Men’s Decathlon: 25-26 August
- Men’s High Jump: 20-22 August
- Women’s High Jump: 25-27 August
- Men’s Pole Vault: 23-26 August
- Women’s Pole Vault: 21-23 August
- Men’s Long Jump: 23-24 August
- Women’s Long Jump: 19-20 August
- Men’s Triple Jump: 19-21 August
- Women’s Triple Jump: 23-25 August
- Men’s Shot Put: 19 August
- Women’s Shot Put: 26 August
- Men’s Discus: 19-21 August
- Women’s Discus: 20-22 August
- Men’s Hammer Throw: 19-20 August
- Women’s Hammer Throw: 23-24 August
- Men’s Javelin: 25-27 August
- Women’s Javelin: 23-25 August
- Men’s 20km Race Walk: 19 August
- Women’s 20km Race Walk: 20 August
- Men’s 35km Race Walk: 24 August
- Women’s 35km Race Walk: 24 August
- Men’s 4x100m Relay: 25-26 August
- Women’s 4x100m Relay: 25-26 August
- Men’s 4x400m Relay: 26-27 August
- Women’s 4x400m Relay: 26-27 August
- Mixed 4x400m Relay: 19 August
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