British Open on TV: the Simple Way to Catch Every Round Live

What the 2025 British Open actually was (and why it matters for TV)

If people say “the British Open,” they usually mean the Open Championship, the oldest major in golf. In July, the 2025 British Open was the 153rd Open and it was played at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

That location matters because Portrush mornings line up with very early US viewing. So the US broadcasters build the television windows around that time difference. In practice, it means coffee-first viewing on Thursday and Friday, then bigger mid-morning blocks on Saturday and Sunday.

Where to watch British Open on TV in the USA

Here is the big picture for the USA. The main broadcast partners are USA Network and NBC, and streaming runs through Peacock plus the NBC Sports App.

NBC and USA Network TV coverage

Before getting into apps, it helps to understand how the TV split works.

• Early windows land on USA Network. When play starts before most people are awake, USA Network typically carries the early block, then coverage transitions later in the morning. This is why people wake up, turn on TV, and see golf already in action.
• NBC takes the main daytime stretch. Once the morning is rolling, NBC usually carries the larger broadcast window that most fans treat as the “main show,” especially on the weekend when the lead can swing quickly.
• Use your provider guide like a scoreboard. If watching through cable or a live TV app, open the guide and confirm the listing says Open or Open Championship, not a generic sports replay. It sounds basic, but it is the easiest way not to miss a chunk of play.

TV handles the backbone, but streaming is what makes following specific stars and holes feel modern.

Peacock, NBC Sports App, and featured group coverage

If the goal is to follow certain players (or just keep the stream running while moving around the house), streaming is where it gets easier.

• Peacock is the main streaming hub. Peacock carries live streams and often includes featured group coverage, so it is possible to lock onto the pairings you care about instead of bouncing around the broadcast feed. NBC Sports also promoted multi-view and featured groups through Peacock during Open week.
• The NBC Sports App is a practical backup. The NBC Sports App is useful when the stream needs a quick restart, or when the living room TV is taken over. In most cases, it works by signing in with a TV provider and then choosing the Open stream inside the app.
• Do a quick “tech check” before the first tee. Download the app you plan to use, sign in once, and start any random sports stream for 10 seconds. That tiny test saves a lot of frustration when tee shots start flying.

TV schedule basics for Thursday to Sunday

The official TV schedule changes slightly by day, but the pattern stays consistent: early golf on USA Network, then a handoff to NBC and streaming. For example, PGA TOUR listings for the final day showed an early USA Network block, then the longer NBC and Peacock window later in the morning (all ET). To keep it simple, treat the week like this:

Thursday and Friday: getting through the noise

The first two days are when viewers most often get lost, because there is more field depth and more screen switching.

• Expect lots of movement on the leaderboard. The world’s best can look ordinary for a stretch, then suddenly turn it around with one great run of holes. That is why “just checking later” often becomes a regret.
• Use featured groups when the main feed feels scattered. If the broadcast jumps between shots too quickly, featured group coverage is calmer. It is also the easiest way to follow specific names like Jordan Spieth or Matt Fitzpatrick when they are not on every highlight.
• Keep the tee times handy. Even if you do not memorize them, having tee times open on a second screen makes watching less confusing. The official tournament sites and big sports outlets update them constantly.

Once the cut is done, the weekend is where the tournament starts to feel like a movie.

Saturday: third round, moving day, and why it feels different

Saturday is the third round, and it usually has the most “everything is happening at once” energy.

• The coverage becomes more storyline-driven. You will hear more talk about who can actually win, who needs a hot start, and who is just hanging on. That is where following the lead matters, not just watching random shots.
• Big names get more camera time. Stars like Scottie Scheffler (who ultimately won the Claret Jug in 2025) naturally pull more attention, and that can be helpful if you are watching casually.
• Use streaming to track your “second screen” favorites. Maybe the broadcast is focused on the leaders, but you want to follow Robert MacIntyre, Russell Henley, or Xander Schauffele. Streaming is the clean way to do that without waiting for the director to remember them.

Final round Sunday: when to tune in and what to follow

The final round is where it all tightens up. In the US, it typically starts extremely early, then runs into the late morning or early afternoon depending on the day’s flow. PGA TOUR coverage notes for Sunday showed the early USA Network portion, then the main window on NBC with streaming on Peacock and the NBC Sports App (all ET).

Here is how to make Sunday feel easy:

• Start early, even if just for 10 minutes. A quick check at the top of the morning tells you whether the leaders are steady or wobbling. If there is a surprise charge, you will see it before social media spoils it.
• Pick one thing to follow. Some fans follow the leader only. Others track a group of players they like. Another good option is simply following the “key stretch” of holes on the course, especially at Royal Portrush where momentum can flip fast.
• Use radio when video is not possible. If the timing is rough, radio coverage can be the best way to stay connected while driving or doing chores.

Speaking of radio, it is still one of the most underrated ways to follow the Open when time zones are brutal.

How to follow live with radio, scoreboards, and safer options

If waking up at 4 a.m. is not happening, there are still solid ways to follow live without falling into sketchy streams.

The Open Radio and SiriusXM

• The Open Radio is official. It is available through The Open’s own platforms (website and app), and it is also distributed via partners.
• In the USA, SiriusXM carries Open Radio. SiriusXM promoted Open Radio coverage for Royal Portrush, which is a good option when screens are not convenient.
• Radio keeps spoilers under control. Instead of seeing a highlight clip first, you hear the story unfold. For early-morning rounds, that can actually feel more relaxing than juggling video feeds.

About “free” streams

Let’s be blunt: truly free streams for major sports are usually a trap.

• Use legit free trials if you want to save money. Some live TV services or streaming platforms offer trial periods. That is the safer kind of “free,” because you are still in official apps with normal account security.
• Over-the-air NBC can be free with an antenna. If NBC is airing in your area, an antenna setup can give you a clean picture without a monthly bill for that specific channel.
• Avoid random sites that look like a pop-up factory. If a page asks to install something, disable protections, or click through endless ads, it is not worth the risk.

Watching the British Open on TV while traveling: where VeePN fits

When streaming breaks, it is often not the service. It is the network. Hotel Wi-Fi, airport hotspots, and constant IP changes can cause logins, buffering, or weird region errors.

A VPN will not replace any subscription, but it can make the experience safer and smoother. Here is what VeePN brings to a British Open on TV week.

• Encryption for streaming on public Wi-Fi. VeePN encrypts your traffic, which helps protect logins and payment details when watching on risky networks like cafés or hotels. If you want the deeper “why,” VeePN breaks it down in a practical way in its guide to using a VPN on public Wi-Fi.
• Changing IP when apps get picky. Streaming services use IP location signals. When travel causes your IP to jump around, apps can act up. A stable VPN server selection can reduce that “why is this not working now?” feeling and keep sessions more consistent.
• Kill Switch to prevent accidental exposure. If the VPN connection drops for a moment, a Kill Switch can block traffic so your device does not quietly fall back to an unprotected connection mid-stream. VeePN also explains this feature in plain terms in its guides.
• DNS leak protection for cleaner location signals. DNS leaks can send mixed signals that sometimes lead to errors or tracking. VeePN’s DNS leak protection guide covers how leaks happen and what to do about them.
• Fast protocols for live sports. Live coverage hates stutters. Using modern protocols like WireGuard can help keep streams stable enough for big moments on Saturday and Sunday. Here’s VeePN’s simple breakdown of WireGuard.
• Extra protection while browsing golf sites and highlights. During majors, people open lots of tabs, highlights, scoreboards, and social feeds. Cleaner browsing reduces the chance of landing on malicious lookalike pages, especially when searching quickly on mobile.

If you want to stream the next Open week with fewer headaches on public Wi-Fi, try VeePN without risks, as we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Written by Oliver Bennett Oliver Bennett is a dedicated cyber security content writer with a knack for breaking down intricate cyber topics into accessible and actionable insights.

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