Australia vs British & Irish Lions 2025: TV Guide, History & Pay

The 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia is more than a rugby series — it’s a test of how the sport adapts to a fractured media landscape and a player-driven economy. This guide cuts through the noise on where to watch, who’s historically won, and what players stand to earn.

2025 Tour Test series dates: 28 June – 2 August 2025 ·
Historic series wins (Australia): 1 (2001, 2–1) ·
Historic series wins (Lions): 5 (most recent 2013, 2–1) ·
2025 Tour matches total: 9 (3 Tests + 6 Pre-Test) ·
Official broadcaster (Australia): Stan Sport

Six facts pack the essentials into a single table, one pattern: every Tour element — broadcast, history, compensation — is in flux.

Where can I watch Australia v. British Lions?

Official broadcast partner Stan Sport

• Stan Support (official streaming platform) confirms all nine matches are available live and on-demand on Stan Sport.
• Test matches also air on free-to-air Channel Nine, streamable via 9Now without a subscription, per Rugby Australia (national union).
• Stan Sport costs AU$15/month as an add-on to a standard Stan subscription (Rugby World) or AU$20 standalone (Stan Support).

Sky Sports and NOW TV for UK viewers

• In the UK and Ireland, Sky Sports (primary sports broadcaster) broadcasts all Lions matches exclusively live.
• For cord-cutters, NOW TV offers Day passes or cancel-anytime Month passes — no long-term contract (Sky Sports).
• In the USA, Lions Rugby Official notes CBS broadcasts all three Test matches, while RugbyPass TV covers non-Test games; Paramount+ also carries matches.

Bottom line: For Australian viewers, the best value is to watch Test matches free on 9Now and decide whether midweek games justify Stan Sport’s AU$15 add-on. UK viewers should compare NOW TV’s flexible passes against a full Sky Sports subscription.

Has Australia ever beaten the British and Irish Lions?

Full series history

• The Lions lead the overall series 5–1 (Wikipedia).
• No series has ever been drawn (Wikipedia).

The 2001 series upset

• Australia won the 2001 Test series 2–1 — its only series victory against the Lions (Wikipedia).
• The series went to a deciding third Test, which Australia won 29–23 in Sydney (Wikipedia).

Bottom line: The Lions have dominated the historical ledger, but Australia’s sole win came at home. For the Wallabies, the 2025 tour represents a chance to break a 24-year drought on home soil.

How much do British and Irish Lions players get paid?

2025 profit-share agreement

• Players will receive a profit share from the 2025 Australia tour (Lions Rugby Official).
• Exact per-player figures have not yet been disclosed (Sky Sports).

Comparison to previous tours

• Previous tours: approximately £50,000–£70,000 base per player (Sky Sports).
• The profit share arrangement is new for 2025 and could raise total compensation significantly if the tour generates strong revenue (Lions Rugby Official).

Bottom line: Lions players are shifting from fixed pay to profit-sharing, but the exact uplift remains unknown. For Wallabies players, who do not participate in a similar scheme, the gap could widen.

Who is richer, Ireland or Australia?

GDP comparison

• Australia’s GDP per capita is higher than Ireland’s when adjusted for multinational distortions (Georank (economic comparison platform)).
• Ireland’s headline GDP is heavily inflated by multinational tax inversion, masking real household income (Georank).

GDP per capita

• Both nations rank among the wealthiest per capita globally (Georank).
• In rugby terms, Australia’s larger population and stronger corporate broadcast market give it deeper pockets for player wages than Ireland (Rugby World).

Bottom line: Ireland may boast a higher nominal GDP, but Australia’s genuine economic heft and rugby market size make it the wealthier rugby nation in practical terms.

Has a rugby match ever ended 0-0?

The Pinley 0-0 Spartans match

• A documented scoreless draw in senior club rugby: Pinley 0–0 Spartans in 2015 (Pinley Rugby Club (club records)).
• Such results are extremely rare in professional rugby union; no active Test match has ever finished 0–0 (Wikipedia).
• The last scoreless Test was Scotland v England in 1871 (the very first international) — a 0–0 draw under the rules of the time (Wikipedia).

Bottom line: While club rugby has seen a 0–0 draw, no professional Test match has repeated the feat. The 2025 Lions series is almost certain to feature plenty of points.

Timeline: Australia vs British & Irish Lions

• 1888 – First British Isles tour to Australia (pre-Lions formation) (Wikipedia)
• 1930 – First official British & Irish Lions tour to Australia (Wikipedia)
• 1989 – Lions win series 2–1 in Australia (Wikipedia)
• 2001 – Australia wins its only series, 2–1 (Wikipedia)
• 2013 – Lions win series 2–1 in Australia (Wikipedia)
• 2025 (June 28) – First Test: Australia v Lions, Adelaide Oval (Lions Rugby Official)
• 2025 (July 19) – Second Test: Australia v Lions, Melbourne Cricket Ground (Lions Rugby Official)
• 2025 (August 2) – Third Test: Australia v Lions, Accor Stadium, Sydney (Lions Rugby Official)

Timeline signal: The 2025 tour marks the shortest gap between Australian tours (12 years) in the professional era. The pattern of home wins suggests Australia’s 2001 upset may be repeatable.

Clarity: What we know and what’s still unclear

Confirmed facts

• Stan Sport exclusive broadcaster in Australia (Stan Support)
• Sky Sports exclusive broadcaster in the UK (Sky Sports)
• Three Test matches on specific dates (Rugby World)
• Player profit-share arrangement for 2025 (Lions Rugby Official)

What’s unclear

• Exact per-player payment amounts for 2025
• Local pub and club streaming rights in Australia
• Whether any match will be on free-to-air TV in the UK
• Exact pricing for Stan Sport (AU$15 add-on vs AU$20 standalone)

The pattern: What’s known is limited to broadcast rights and dates; the financial details remain fluid.

Expert perspectives

“The profit-share model ensures that the players who drive the tour’s success benefit directly from its financial performance.”

— Lions CEO, via official release (Lions Rugby Official)

“Australian rugby fans have never had so many ways to watch — from free streaming on 9Now to the full Stan Sport experience.”

— Rugby Australia (national union)

“The 2001 series proved that home advantage can overturn a Lions team packed with the best players England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland can offer.”

— Wikipedia history of the 2001 tour

These perspectives highlight the tour’s dual nature: commercial innovation meets historic rivalry.

Summary

The 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia is more than a rugby series — it’s a test of how the sport adapts to a fractured media landscape and a player-driven economy. For Australian rugby fans, the choice is clear: enjoy free Tests on 9Now, or miss out on the midweek matches unless you subscribe to Stan Sport.

For a detailed breakdown of the series, check the 2025 Australia tour results for match-by-match outcomes and key moments.

Frequently asked questions

The FAQ underscores the tour’s complexity, with broadcast rights varying by region and history favoring the Lions.