How to watch UK Championship final 2023: live stream Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Ding Junhui online from anywhere

Snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan of England gets down to play a shot on the pink ahead of the start of the UK Championship 2023
(Image credit: VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

If there are two players that have written their names all over the 2023 UK Championship, they're Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui. The Rocket has has survived a couple of white-knuckle rides at the York Barbican, while Ding has toppled heavyweight after heavyweight, having just missed out on automatic qualification for the tournament.

You can watch the 2023 UK Championship for free on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in the UK. Don't worry if you're abroad right now, because you can watch UK Championship live streams from anywhere with a VPN.

Quick links

► Start time: 8 am ET / 5 am PT / 1 pm UK / 12 am AEDT

UK: BBC One | BBC Two | BBC iPlayer (free)

US: DAZN

AU: Matchroom Live (free trial)

How to use a VPN to watch any stream

Love him or – is there really any alternative? – you can't keep seven-time champion O'Sullivan out of the headlines, and at numerous moments this week he's looked like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He already holds the record for the most UK Championship titles, and he's only ever lost one of the eight previous finals he's reached.

Ding is a three-time winner of this tournament, though he's had a lean few years on the tour. It's been four years since his most recent triumph at a ranking event, but right from the off, when he downed the top seed and reigning champion Mark Allen in the opener, the 36-year-old cueman has shown that he means business.

Like his opponent today, he's also only lost one other UK Championship final. The difference is that it was a year ago, and he'll be desperate not to suffer back-to-back heartbreak. 

The UK Championship is the first Triple Crown tournament of the season, and if you're a keen snooker fan, you'll want to know how to watch 2023 UK Championship live streams. We've got all the information below.

Today's UK Championship 2023 schedule

(All times ET)

Sunday, December 3

  • 8 am - Ronnie O'Sullivan (3) vs Ding Junhui (17)

Watch UK Championship snooker in the UK for free

BBC iPlayer

In the UK, free-to-air channels BBC One and BBC Two, and free streaming service BBC iPlayer are showing every session of the 2023 UK Championship. 

Live coverage typically gets underway at 1 pm UK each day.

BBC channels and iPlayer are free to watch for TV licence fee payers in the UK. If you're trying to access iPlayer while outside the UK, you might want to try a VPN to watch iPlayer from abroad.

The tournament is also being shown on Eurosport and its streaming arm Discovery+. A Discovery+ subscription costs £6.99 per month or £59.99 for the year, and allows you to tune in on a wide range of devices, as well as the Eurosport TV channels. 

How to watch UK Championship snooker in the US

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Snooker fans based in the US can watch the 2023 UK Championship exclusively on DAZN.

The monthly plan costs $24.99 per month, though you can reduce that to $19.99 per month if you commit to a year's contract. If you pay for an entire year upfront, it will be a touch more affordable still, at $224.99.

Live coverage typically gets underway at 8 am ET / 5 am PT each morning, continuing into the evenings.

Remember, if you're currently away from the States but don't want to miss any of the snooker, get a VPN so you won't be geo-blocked from your regular service.

Watch the UK Championship 2023 in Australia

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In Australia, the 2023 UK Championship is being live streamed in its entirety on Matchroom Live

Just be warned that play typically begins at 12 am AEDT each night, continuing through the early hours.

If the timings don't put you off, note that a day pass costs $1.99, a monthly pass costs $5.99, and an annual pass costs $49.99.

Watch UK Championship from anywhere with a VPN

Wherever you live, there's a good possibility that a major broadcaster is streaming the snooker.

However, in some places there is a possibility that there's no easy way of watching the tournament. Thankfully, you can solve this issue with a Virtual Private Network (a VPN). 

A VPN lets you get around the usual digital barriers by changing your IP address, meaning you can watch events like the UK Championship even if it isn't directly broadcasting where you are. Our favourite is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.


How to use a VPN to watch any stream

  • Download the app at ExpressVPN
  • Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
  • Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to watch what you want from anywhere you want to watch it.

It's straightforward and easy to use, has great security, is available on loads of streaming devices and, best of all, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out 100% risk-free.

UK Championship 2023 odds

Who is favourite to win the UK Championship 2023?

Judd Trump had been the odds-on favourite to win this year's tournament, but fell at the semi-finals stage. Ronnie O’Sullivan – a seven-time winner of the event – is the new favourite with the bookmakers.

Aatif Sulleyman
Contributor

Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.