❚ We may earn commission from links on this page. Our editorial is always independent (learn more).
How to watch County Championship 2026: TV, YouTube and live stream
Check out the full County Championship 2026 TV schedule including start times, channel details and live stream information.
(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
- Ned Holmes
Published: Thursday, 26 March 2026 at 3:00 pm
Subscribe to Radio Times: 10 issues for £10
The 2026 County Championship campaign is upon us – and with it the start of a new English cricket season.
Ad
While no longer the powerhouse that it once was, the four-day domestic competition remains a favourite among purists and is the backbone of English red-ball cricket.
Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum's Test side may still be licking their wounds after an all-too-familiar Ashes humbling Down Under but at the county level, there are reasons for fans of all 18 teams to believe this could be their year.
- Watch the County Championship 2026 on ECB.co.uk and your team's official YouTube channel
Nottinghamshire ended Surrey's recent Division One dominance last year, winning their seventh title, but the Oval outfit are the favourites again this season – with the defending champions, Somerset, and Essex among the others expected to challenge.
In Division Two, the two relegated teams, Durham and Worcestershire, are fancied to be frontrunners, while sleeping giants Lancashire and dark horses Derbyshire will have sights set on promotion as well.
The County Championship is, to many, cricket in its purest form, and there will be extensive coverage throughout the season. With Test players in the mix in the opening rounds, there are plenty of reasons to tune in for the start of the 2026 campaign.
RadioTimes.com brings you all the details about how to watch the County Championship 2026.
When is the County Championship 2026?
The County Championship season starts on Friday 3 April 2026.
The final round of County Championship fixtures starts on Thursday 24 September 2026 and wraps up on Sunday 27 September 2026.
How to watch the County Championship 2026 on TV and live stream
Unfortunately, the County Championship 2026 will not be broadcast live on TV.
However, all matches will be available to watch for free via the Match Centre on ECB.co.uk and through your team's official YouTube channel, which you can stream through smart TVs.
Fans can also watch live on mobile or tablet through the England Cricket app.
County Championship on the radio
Few sports suit the airwaves quite like cricket and there will be extensive radio coverage throughout the County Championship.
Every ball of the season, in both divisions, will be broadcast live on local radio and the BBC Sport website. Listeners can also tune in through the England Cricket app or via teams' YouTube streams.
County Championship 2026 schedule
All start 11am UK time. Subject to change.
April
Division One: Friday 3 - Monday 6 April
- Warwickshire v Surrey, at Edgbaston
- Hampshire v Essex, at the Rose Bowl
- Glamorgan v Yorkshire, at Sophia Gardens
- Leicestershire v Sussex, at Grace Road
- Somerset v Nottinghamshire, at Taunton
Division Two: Friday 3 - Monday 6 April
- Derbyshire v Worcestershire, at Derby
- Middlesex v Gloucestershire, at Lord's
- Northamptonshire v Lancashire, at Northampton
- Durham v Kent, at Chester-le-Street
Division One: Friday 10 - Monday 13 April
- Essex v Somerset, at Chelmsford
- Sussex v Warwickshire, at Hove
- Yorkshire v Hampshire, at Headingley
- Surrey v Leicestershire, at The Oval
- Nottinghamshire v Glamorgan, at Trent Bridge
Division Two: Friday 10 - Monday 13 April
- Middlesex v Worcestershire, at Lord's
- Gloucestershire v Durham, at Bristol
- Kent v Northamptonshire, at Canterbury
- Lancashire v Derbyshire, at Old Trafford
Division One: Friday 17 - Monday 20 April
- Hampshire v Somerset, at the Rose Bowl
- Warwickshire v Essex, at Edgbaston
Division Two: Friday 17 - Monday 20 April
- Northamptonshire v Middlesex, at Northampton
- Gloucestershire v Lancashire, at Bristol
Division One: Friday 24 - Monday 27 April
- Nottinghamshire v Warwickshire, at Trent Bridge
- Yorkshire v Sussex, at Headingley
- Surrey v Essex, at The Oval
- Glamorgan v Leicestershire, at Sophia Gardens
Division Two: Friday 24 - Monday 27 April
- Derbyshire v Gloucestershire, at Derby
- Durham v Lancashire, at Chester-le-Street
- Worcestershire v Kent, at New Road
May
Division One: Friday 1 - Monday 4 May
- Surrey v Sussex, at The Oval
- Hampshire v Glamorgan, at the Rose Bowl
- Somerset v Yorkshire, at Taunton
- Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire, at Grace Road
Division Two: Friday 1 - Monday 4 May
- Kent v Derbyshire, at Canterbury
- Northamptonshire v Worcestershire, at Northampton
- Middlesex v Durham, at Lord's
Division One: Friday 8 - Monday 11 May
- Essex v Hampshire, at Chelmsford
- Warwickshire v Yorkshire, at Edgbaston
- Nottinghamshire v Surrey, at Trent Bridge
- Glamorgan v Somerset, at Sophia Gardens
- Sussex v Leicestershire, at Hove
Division Two: Friday 8 - Monday 11 May
- Derbyshire v Northamptonshire, at Derby
- Gloucestershire v Kent, at Bristol
- Worcestershire v Durham, at New Road
- Lancashire v Middlesex, at Old Trafford
Division One: Friday 15 - Monday 18 May
- Essex v Leicestershire, at Chelmsford
- Hampshire v Nottinghamshire, at the Rose Bowl
- Warwickshire v Glamorgan, at Edgbaston
- Yorkshire v Surrey, at Headingley
- Somerset v Sussex, at Taunton
Division Two: Friday 15 - Monday 18 May
- Kent v Durham, at Canterbury
- Gloucestershire v Northamptonshire, at Bristol
- Middlesex v Derbyshire, at Lord's
- Lancashire v Worcestershire, at Old Trafford
June
Division One: Sunday 7 - Wednesday 10 June
- Surrey v Hampshire, at The Oval
Division One: Friday 12 - Monday 15 June
- Yorkshire v Warwickshire, at Headingley
- Leicestershire v Essex, at Grace Road
- Sussex v Glamorgan, at Hove
- Nottinghamshire v Somerset, at Trent Bridge
Division Two: Friday 12 - Monday 15 June
- Northamptonshire v Gloucestershire, at Northampton
- Lancashire v Kent, at Old Trafford
- Worcestershire v Middlesex, at New Road
- Durham v Derbyshire, at Chester-le-Street
Division One: Friday 19 - Monday 22 June
- Essex v Nottinghamshire, at Chelmsford
- Leicestershire v Yorkshire, at Grace Road
- Glamorgan v Surrey, at Sophia Gardens
- Sussex v Hampshire, at Hove
- Somerset v Warwickshire, at Taunton
Division Two: Friday 19 - Monday 22 June
- Kent v Middlesex, at Canterbury
- Derbyshire v Lancashire, at Derby
- Worcestershire v Gloucestershire, at New Road
- Durham v Northamptonshire, at Chester-le-Street
August
Division One: Thursday 20 - Sunday 23 August
- Surrey v Nottinghamshire, at The Oval
- Warwickshire v Sussex, at Edgbaston
- Leicestershire v Glamorgan, at Grace Road
- Somerset v Essex, at Taunton
- Hampshire v Yorkshire, at the Rose Bowl
Division Two: Thursday 20 - Sunday 23 August
- Middlesex v Kent, at Lord's
- Derbyshire v Durham, at Derby
- Lancashire v Northamptonshire, at Old Trafford
- Gloucestershire v Worcestershire, at Bristol
Division One: Thursday 27 - Sunday 30 August
- Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire, at Edgbaston
- Essex v Surrey, at Chelmsford
- Yorkshire v Leicestershire, at Headingley
- Glamorgan v Hampshire, at Sophia Gardens
- Sussex v Somerset, at Hove
Division Two: Thursday 27 - Sunday 30 August
- Derbyshire v Middlesex, at Derby
- Northamptonshire v Kent, at Northampton
- Worcestershire v Lancashire, at New Road
- Durham v Gloucestershire, at Chester-le-Street
September
Division One: Wednesday 2 - Saturday 5 September
- Essex v Sussex, at Chelmsford
- Surrey v Yorkshire, at The Oval
- Nottinghamshire v Leicestershire, at Trent Bridge
- Somerset v Glamorgan, at Taunton
- Hampshire v Warwickshire, at the Rose Bowl
Division Two: Wednesday 2 - Saturday 5 September
- Gloucestershire v Derbyshire, at Bristol
- Kent v Worcestershire, at Canterbury
- Northamptonshire v Durham, at Northampton
- Middlesex v Lancashire, at Lord's
Division One: Tuesday 8 - Friday 11 September
- Nottinghamshire v Hampshire, at Trent Bridge
- Yorkshire v Essex, at Headingley
- Glamorgan v Warwickshire, at Sophia Gardens
- Sussex v Surrey, at Hove
- Leicestershire v Somerset, at Grace Road
Division Two: Tuesday 8 - Friday 11 September
- Derbyshire v Kent, at Derby
- Worcestershire v Northamptonshire, at New Road
- Durham v Middlesex, at Chester-le-Street
- Lancashire v Gloucestershire, at Old Trafford
Division One: Tuesday 15 - Friday 18 September
- Essex v Warwickshire, at Chelmsford
- Leicestershire v Hampshire, at Grace Road
- Yorkshire v Somerset, at Headingley
- Surrey v Glamorgan, at The Oval
- Sussex v Nottinghamshire, at Hove
Division Two: Tuesday 15 - Friday 18 September
- Durham v Worcestershire, at Chester-le-Street
- Northamptonshire v Derbyshire, at Northampton
- Gloucestershire v Middlesex, at Bristol
- Kent v Lancashire, at Canterbury
Division One: Thursday 24 - Sunday 27 September
- Warwickshire v Leicestershire, at Edgbaston
- Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire, at Trent Bridge
- Hampshire v Sussex, at the Rose Bowl
- Glamorgan v Essex, at Sophia Gardens
- Somerset v Surrey, at Taunton
Division Two: Thursday 24 - Sunday 27 September
- Kent v Gloucestershire, at Canterbury
- Middlesex v Northamptonshire, at Lord's
- Worcestershire v Derbyshire, at New Road
- Lancashire v Durham, at Old Trafford
Want to see this content?
This page contains content provided by Google reCAPTCHA. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Google reCAPTCHA may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose 'Accept and continue' to allow Google reCAPTCHA and its required purposes.
Accept and continue
Ad
Check out more of our Sport coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Ned Holmes
Ned is a sports writer at RadioTimes.com. He has covered a host of sports from EFL football, international cricket and golf all the way through to bike polo and triathlon.
Ad
Ad
Subscribe for £1 per week
Too much to watch this autumn? Let Radio Times magazine and app do the choosing, with expert picks across TV, streaming and film.
Loading...
Ad
Loading...