Sports Radio Online: Live Commentary and Sports Talk
Published
You can listen to sports radio online in any browser, with no download and no account: open 72FM, search for a station's name, and press play. Sports radio falls into two kinds of listening — sports talk, which is available almost everywhere, and live match commentary, which is often limited by broadcast rights. This guide covers both, country by country.
United Kingdom
- talkSPORT — sports talk and commentary, with a talkSPORT Spanish stream.
- BBC Radio 5 Live — news and sport from the BBC.
Much of the live Premier League commentary on UK stations is licensed for UK listeners only, so outside the UK a station may play other programming during a match. The talk shows around the games are usually available everywhere.
United States and Canada
- ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes — dozens of local affiliates are in the directory; search "ESPN".
- Fox Sports Radio and CBS Sports Radio affiliates — sports talk around the clock.
- 670 The Score (WSCR) — Chicago sports talk; see Chicago radio online.
- Sportsnet 590 The Fan and TSN 1050 — Toronto sports talk; see Toronto radio online.
- Sportsnet 650 (Vancouver), Sportsnet 960 (Calgary) and TSN 1200 (Ottawa).
In North America, play-by-play for the big leagues is often replaced online by other programming, because streaming rights are sold separately from broadcast rights.
Spain, Italy and the rest of Europe
- Radio Marca — Spain's sports station, with local streams for Madrid, Barcelona and Málaga.
- Cadena SER, COPE and Onda Cero — live La Liga coverage in their weekend shows; see Madrid radio online.
- Rai Radio 1 Sport — sport from Italy's public broadcaster.
- Tele Radio Stereo and Radio Romanista — Roman football talk; see Rome radio online.
Latin America
- Radio Mitre — news and football from Argentina; see Buenos Aires radio online.
- Rádio Globo and CBN — football in Brazil; see Rio de Janeiro radio online and São Paulo radio online.
- Blu Radio — Colombia's news network, with football coverage.
Australia
- SEN 1170 (Sydney) and SEN 1116 (Melbourne) — sport, including AFL, rugby league and cricket; see Melbourne radio online.
- ABC Radio — the public broadcaster's local stations carry sport too.
Why a match might not play
When a stream plays something else during a game, it is almost always a rights decision: the station has permission to broadcast the commentary on air or in its home country, but not to stream it worldwide. That is the rights holder's choice, and 72FM does not list ways around it. The station's own website or app will say what it can carry, and official league apps often sell audio passes for overseas fans.
A route in
- talkSPORT, for British sports talk.
- Radio Marca, for Spanish football.
- 670 The Score, for American sports talk.
- SEN, for Australian sport.
For listening while you do something else, talk radio online and news radio online go further.
Frequently asked questions
How can I listen to sports radio online for free?
Search for the station on 72FM — talkSPORT, BBC Radio 5 Live, ESPN and Fox Sports affiliates, Radio Marca and SEN are in the directory — no download and no account, with an hour a day free.
Why does a stream play something else during a match?
Usually because of broadcast rights: many stations may carry live commentary only on air or in their home country. The talk shows around the games are generally available everywhere.
Is there football radio in Spanish?
Yes — Radio Marca, Cadena SER, COPE and Onda Cero in Spain, and ESPN Deportes in the United States.
Is there Australian sports radio online?
Yes — SEN 1170 in Sydney and SEN 1116 in Melbourne.