2026 Open Championship TV Schedule: How to Watch at Royal Birkdale
BetspertsGolf
a month ago
The 2026 Open Championship runs Thursday, July 16, through Sunday, July 19, at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. In the United States, USA Network carries the bulk of the weekday play, NBC takes over for the weekend, and Peacock streams all four rounds live. Because Birkdale sits five hours ahead of the East Coast, most of the action lands in the early-morning window for American viewers.
This is the 154th Open and the 11th time the game’s oldest major has visited Royal Birkdale. Scottie Scheffler arrives as the defending champion after his win last summer at Royal Portrush, so the world’s best player headlines a field chasing the Claret Jug on one of the best links tests in the rotation.
When is the 2026 Open Championship?
The championship is played over four days from July 16 to July 19, 2026, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. Thursday and Friday are the opening rounds, the field is cut to the top 70 and ties after 36 holes, and the weekend decides the Claret Jug. The R&A also runs a Last-Chance Qualifier earlier in the week for one final spot in the field.
2026 Open Championship TV schedule
Here is the full US broadcast and streaming plan, round by round. All times are Eastern. USA Network handles the early and midday coverage, NBC anchors the weekend finishes, and Peacock streams every round from the first tee time.
| Round | Date | TV coverage (ET) | Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Thursday, July 16 | USA Network, 4 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Peacock from 1:30 a.m. |
| Round 2 | Friday, July 17 | USA Network, 4 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Peacock from 1:30 a.m. |
| Round 3 | Saturday, July 18 | USA Network, 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., then NBC, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Peacock, all coverage |
| Round 4 | Sunday, July 19 | USA Network, 4 a.m. to 7 a.m., then NBC, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Peacock, all coverage |
Golf Channel also airs its daily “Live From The Open” studio show at 3:30 p.m. ET once each round wraps, with reaction, interviews, and analysis. If you only have time for the closing stretch, the NBC windows on Saturday and Sunday are where the trophy gets decided.
How to stream the 2026 Open Championship
Peacock is the streaming home for the 2026 Open. Every round is available live on Peacock, and the service simulcasts both the USA Network weekday coverage and the NBC weekend windows, so a Peacock subscription covers all four days from the opening tee shot through the final putt. That makes it the simplest option for cord-cutters who do not have USA Network or NBC through a cable or live TV package.
If you do have a traditional or live TV bundle, USA Network and NBC give you the linear feed without a separate streaming login. Either way, plan around the clock, because the leaders will often be on the course before sunrise on the East Coast.
Who is the defending champion at Royal Birkdale?
Scottie Scheffler is the defending Open champion. He won the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush at 17 under par, four clear of Harris English, to claim the third leg of the career Grand Slam. He returns as the top-ranked player in the world and the man everyone else has to beat at Birkdale.
Scheffler is not the only story. A links major invites a wider cast than a typical Tour stop, from big hitters who can flight the ball down in the wind to short-game specialists and seasoned Open contenders who thrive when the weather turns. Royal Birkdale last hosted in 2017, when Jordan Spieth won a memorable duel with Matt Kuchar, so there is recent history for bettors to lean on.
2026 Open Championship betting and DFS angles
Scheffler is the clear betting favorite, and for good reason given his world ranking and his major record over the past two seasons. The tension for bettors is whether to pay the short price on the best player alive or hunt value further down the board, where links form, driving control, and comfort in the wind matter more than raw distance.
Royal Birkdale rewards accuracy and ball-striking over bombing, so the smart pre-tournament work is separating players who actually fit a firm, breezy links from names that only look good on paper. This is where a custom model earns its keep, letting you weight strokes gained categories like approach and around-the-green play that travel well to an Open setup.
Before they tee off at Birkdale, build your model. The Rabbit Hole hands you the strokes gained PGA data, and code BSG26 takes 25% off any plan.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the 2026 Open Championship free to watch on Peacock?
No. Peacock requires a paid subscription to stream the Open. There is no free ad-supported tier for the live golf coverage, so you will need an active Peacock plan to watch the rounds online.
Why are the 2026 Open Championship TV times so early in the US?
Royal Birkdale is on UK time, which is five hours ahead of the US Eastern time zone. Play begins in the Southport morning, so the coverage reaches American viewers in the pre-dawn and early-morning hours, with the leaders often finishing before midday on the East Coast.
What is the 2026 Open Championship purse?
The R&A had not announced the 2026 prize fund as of this week. For reference, the 2025 Open at Royal Portrush carried a $17 million purse with about $3.1 million going to the champion, and the total is expected to rise again this year.