The pinnacle of domestic Australian motor racing is the V8 Supercars series, with the twenty-fourth edition promising to be one of the best yet. All our favourite drivers, teams and manufacturers are set to return and battle in out over 12 turbo charged rounds.
The 2020 championship chase began with the Adelaide 500 in South Australia, but the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak meant that several races were postponed during March, April and May. However, the powers that be have managed to put together a new season calendar that allows all but three races to take place across the season. A special one-off season finale will coincide with the Bathurst at Mount Panorama, whilst the Melbourne 400, Gold Coast 600 and Newcastle 500 have all been cancelled for logistical reasons.
Supercars 2020 TV Preview
Due to exceptional delays to the 2020 season, some race weekends will run across no more than two days, as opposed to the normal three. While every event on the V8 calendar is must-see TV, there are some real fan favourites, such as the Bathurst 1000, which takes place at the world-famous Mount Panorama circuit. Further into the championship chase, you’ll find Queensland’s The Bathurst 1000 races, where the streets become filled with the smell of fuel and the sound of high octane V8 engines in late August. The season’s only non-Australian fixture, the Auckland Super400, runs full throttle in January 2021 and is arguably the biggest race on New Zealand’s motor racing calendar.
Bathurst 1000 Free Air vs Fox Sports
| Date | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, 11 October | LIVE: 9.30am – 5.00pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Fri, 12 October | LIVE: 8.35am – 4.45pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Sat, 13 October | LIVE: 9.45am – 5.50pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Sun, 14 October | LIVE: 11.30am – 5.00pm | Foxtel / Kayo / Ten |
So don’t miss a minute of this 2020 Supercars Championship action, where you can watch every support session, qualifying event and full V8 races live. There’s no telling who will provide the drive of the day, or which driver will be spraying champagne on top of the podium come the end of the weekend in this most enthralling of domestic motorsports.
When: 15-18 October
Where: Bathurst, NSW
Bathurst 1000 LIVE TV Schedule (Sydney time)
| Date | Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 15th October | Practice 1 (All Divers) | LIVE: 9.30am | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Thursday, 15th October | Practice 2 (Co-Drivers) | LIVE: 12.45pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Thursday, 15th October | Practice 3 (All Drivers) | LIVE: 4.00pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Friday, 16th October | Practice 4 (Co-Drivers) | LIVE: 8.35am | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Friday, 16th October | Practice 5 (All Drivers) | LIVE: 12.00pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Friday, 16th October | Qualifying | LIVE: 4.05pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday, 17th October | Practice 6 (Co-Drivers) | LIVE: 9.45am | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday, 17th October | Practice 7 (All Drivers) | LIVE: 1.30pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Saturday, 17th October | Top 10 Shoot Out | LIVE: 5.05pm | Foxtel / Kayo |
| Sunday, 18th October | Race Warm Up | LIVE: 8.40am | Foxtel / Kayo / Ten |
| Sunday, 18th October | Bathurst 1000 Race | LIVE: 11.30am | Foxtel / Kayo / Ten |
V8 Supercars on Aussie TV
This season there will be seven live events on Free to Air, but as seen in the 2020 TV fixtures Fox Sports (Foxtel/Kayo) will provide the most complete V8 Supercars coverage. This includes every practice session, qualifying event and featured race shown live, with the championship races ad-break free, as well as unique camera angles and spectacular graphics.
Watch Supercars Live Online
If you’re a resident of Australia and don’t have access to Fox Sports you may wish to review the Foxtel Now free trial which is good for 10 days. With Foxtel Now you have the option to watch the Supercars live online with a variety of compatible internet connected devices.
Eligible platforms include PC, Mac, iOS or Android mobile devices, as well as Telstra TV, the Google Chromecast, Playstation 4 and more. Foxtel Now can also be renewed month-to-month, requires no set-up fees and can be accessed instantly.
FeaturedStream Supercars Live and FREE
Alternatively, Kayo Sports have a 14 day trial offering. With the Kayo trial you will have access to the same practices, qualifying and races shown on Fox Sports, and can stream the V8 Supercars free and Live using eligible mobile devices. Compatible devices include select PC and Macs, iOS and Android phones and tablets, Apple and Telstra TV, Google Chromecast, as well as Safari, Firefox, Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers.
Kayo also have an exclusive on-screen RaceView feature that includes a timing camera, which displays a real-time leaderboard, and Co-Pilot, which has an in-car driver camera. There’s also Kayo Minis on demand replay feature, so you can catch-up on any of the key events you may have missed.
V8 Supercars 2020 TV Fixtures (Revised)
| Event | Location | Date | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathurst 1000 | Mt Panorama Circuit | 8-11 October | Foxtel / Kayo |
Events shown as Sydney Time, adjust for regional differences. The V8 Supercars on Free to Air does not always include live coverage of the support sessions, practices, qualifying, or the Top Ten Shootout.
V8 Supercars Drivers to Watch
Scott McLaughlin made it back-to-back Supercars Championships last year courtesy of a dominant season which saw him win 18 of the 32 races and finish atop the standings by over 500 points. The title was virtually decided just halfway through the season after the Kiwi won 13 of the first 17 races, and it was a race for second place amongst his competitors for much of the year.
Jamie Whincup has started 2020 very well compared to last year, and is the only driver who looks capable of challenging McLaughlin. The 37-year-old performed well in the latter rounds of 2019, so he will just want to keep his Kiwi counterpart within touching distance as the season moves forward, grabbing point where he can.
How to Stream V8 Supercars in Australia
Not everyone currently has, or wants to take on a Foxtel or Telstra subscription. So with this consideration in mind, what other choices do you have when it comes to watching the Supercars Championship? Let’s look at some of the best streaming options available on the Aussie market.
Apple TV
Arguably the gold-standard of the lower-profile streaming device for years now, the Apple TV is popular because it delivers. This tiny box is now in its fifth generation, and has recently added 4K and HDR streaming. You can also download apps just like you would on your phone. And that means almost every major player is supported, including the Kayo Sports streaming service and Foxtel Now.
Google Chromecast
This amazing little device now comes in two options for streaming video, both with an HDMI connection linking them to your TV. You can choose from the standard or the Google Chromecast Ultra version – the difference is that the Ultra handles 4K video, which is becoming increasingly available in Australia thanks to HD. Once plugged in and connected to your home Wi-Fi network, the device can be reached by a vast range of apps to stream video or on demand replays including Kayo Sports. While it’s not as seamless as using a dedicated device – it’s still extremely versatile.
Foxtel Now Box
Another increasingly popular streaming device option would be the Foxtel Now Box. Launched over a year ago, it delivers the easiest way to stream Foxtel Now, as well as YouTube and Stan, directly to your TV. There’s no installation required so you can immediately start streaming the Supercars Championship and other sport on your TV. Simply plug it in and start watching. Of course, you’ll need to subscribe to the Foxtel Now Sports pack, which offers access to twelve channels including Fox Sports, Fox League, Fox Footy, ESPN, beIN Sports and all the live action available each and every week.
