What is an each-way bet and why is it popular for the Grand National?

An each-way bet is two bets in one: a win bet and a place bet, at equal stakes. If your horse wins, both parts pay out. If it finishes in a specified place position without winning, only the place part pays — at a fraction of the full odds, typically 1/4 or 1/5. For the Grand National, each-way betting is popular because the large field of 34 runners means bookmakers offer extended place terms, often paying out on five or six places. With 82% of Grand National bets being £5 or less, each-way gives casual punters a realistic possibility of a return even when their horse does not win. The nation's punt has always been an each-way affair.

How many places are bookmakers paying on the Grand National 2026?

Place terms vary by bookmaker and can change in the run-up to the race, so checking closer to the event is essential. Standard terms for the Grand National are four places at 1/4 odds, but most major operators enhance them for this race to attract once-a-year customers. Enhanced offers typically range from five places at 1/4 odds to six places at 1/5 odds, with the most generous operators occasionally offering six places at 1/4 odds. Compare at least three bookmakers before placing your each-way bet for 2026. The difference between four and six places can mean the difference between losing your stake and collecting a return.

How do I place a bet on the Grand National online — step by step?

Choose a bookmaker licensed by the UK Gambling Commission — look for the licence number in the site's footer. Register with your name, date of birth and address, and verify your identity (most operators run automated checks). Deposit funds using a debit card, bank transfer or e-wallet — credit cards cannot be used for UK gambling. Navigate to the Grand National market under the horse racing section, click the odds next to your chosen horse, select win only or each-way in the bet slip, enter your stake, review the details, and confirm. The process takes under ten minutes. If you prefer betting in person, visit any high-street betting shop, fill in a paper slip and hand it to the cashier with your money.

How to Watch the Grand National 2026: TV, Live Stream and Radio Coverage

The Grand National pulls in a television audience that most sports can only dream about. Around 800 million viewers tune in across 170 countries each year, making it one of the most-watched horse races on the planet. In Britain alone, roughly 13 million people have a flutter on the race — and most of them want to watch every stride, every fence, every heart-stopping moment live.

Whether you are settling into the sofa with a cup of tea and a betting slip, streaming the action on a phone during a lunch break, or following along through radio commentary on a long drive, there is no shortage of ways to follow the 2026 Grand National. The question is not whether you can watch it — it is how to pick the option that suits you best. So before the tapes go up, here is everything you need to make sure you don’t miss a fence.

Grand National on TV: ITV Coverage and What Time to Tune In

ITV has been the home of the Grand National since 2017, and the 2026 edition is no different. The main terrestrial broadcast is free-to-air on ITV1, which means no subscription, no paywall — just switch on and settle in. For anyone who grew up watching the race on the BBC, the transition has been seamless: ITV Racing’s production values are high, and the presenting team has become a fixture of Grand National Saturday almost as much as the race itself.

Coverage typically begins well before the big race. ITV’s Grand National programme usually launches around midday, with build-up features, jockey interviews, paddock analysis and a run-through of the undercard races. For 2026, the first race on the card is scheduled for 12:45 BST, with the Grand National itself set for a start time of approximately 16:00 BST (4pm) — the earlier slot that was introduced in 2026. The broadcast continues through post-race reactions, replays and results, so expect the channel to be dedicated to Aintree for the better part of four hours.

In 2026, the ITV broadcast of the Grand National drew an audience of 5.2 million viewers in the UK — a significant number for a single race and a reminder that this is still appointment television. If you want the full studio experience, with Ed Chamberlin, Francesca Cumani and the rest of the team walking you through every contender and every market shift, ITV1 is where you need to be.

For those who prefer a slightly more data-heavy broadcast, ITV4 often runs supplementary coverage of the earlier festival races. It is worth checking the schedule in the week before the race, as ITV occasionally adjusts its multi-channel allocation depending on the rest of the sporting calendar. Either way, both channels are free-to-air through Freeview, Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.

Viewers outside the United Kingdom can look for the broadcast through international racing channels. In Ireland, RTÉ and Virgin Media Television typically carry the race. In Australia, Sky Racing holds the rights. With the Grand National reaching dozens of markets worldwide, there is almost always a local broadcaster picking up the signal — though the production and commentary are rarely as polished as ITV’s home coverage.

Live Streaming the Grand National: Bookmaker and Free Options

If you are not near a television — or simply prefer watching on your own terms — live streaming is the obvious alternative. The good news is that several routes exist, and some of them cost nothing at all.

The simplest free option is ITVX, ITV’s streaming platform. Since the Grand National is broadcast on free-to-air ITV1, it is simultaneously available to stream on ITVX via a web browser, the ITVX app on iOS and Android, or through smart TV apps on most major platforms. You do need to create a free ITVX account, but there is no subscription fee. The stream mirrors the live television broadcast with only a few seconds of delay, so it is the closest digital equivalent to watching on the box.

Beyond ITVX, several licensed bookmakers offer live streaming of UK horse racing through their platforms. Operators such as Bet365, Betfair, William Hill, Paddy Power and Coral all provide race-day streaming, usually accessible to anyone with a funded account or a recently placed bet. The exact conditions vary — some require a minimum balance, others require a qualifying bet on the race — but for anyone who already has a bookmaker account, this doubles as both a viewing and a betting platform in one window. The quality of bookmaker streams has improved significantly in recent years, and the convenience of watching a race alongside a live bet slip is hard to overstate.

One thing to keep in mind: bookmaker streams are typically delivered through an in-app player and may not support casting to a larger screen as smoothly as ITVX does. If you are planning a group viewing session, ITVX on a smart TV or via a streaming stick is likely the better option. If you are following alone on a phone or laptop, a bookmaker stream works perfectly well.

For those based outside the UK, availability depends on regional broadcasting rights. Some bookmaker streams are geo-restricted, so a UK-licensed operator may not stream the race to users logging in from abroad. International viewers should check local broadcasting schedules or explore whether ITVX content is accessible in their region.

Radio Coverage and Second-Screen Options

Television and streaming get most of the attention, but radio remains one of the most atmospheric ways to follow the Grand National. There is a reason racing commentary was born on the airwaves — the breathless, rapid-fire descriptions of horses clearing Becher’s Brook and thundering down the Canal Turn are an experience in their own right.

BBC Radio 5 Live is the primary radio broadcaster for the Grand National, offering live commentary and build-up coverage on race day. The commentary is available on FM, DAB, the BBC Sounds app and the BBC website, which makes it accessible on virtually any device. If you are stuck in traffic, working outdoors or just prefer the drama of a skilled commentator painting the picture, 5 Live is the go-to.

talkSPORT also provides racing coverage during the Aintree Festival, often with a betting-focused angle that includes market analysis and tipping alongside the race calls. It is available through DAB, online and via the talkSPORT app.

The second-screen approach has become increasingly popular in recent years. Many viewers watch the ITV broadcast on the main screen while following live market movements, in-play odds or social media commentary on a phone or tablet. Bookmaker apps are well suited for this — you can track your bet, watch odds shift in real time and even place additional in-play bets while the race unfolds. Twitter (now X) remains a lively hub during the Grand National, with jockey interviews, pundit reactions and post-race analysis appearing within seconds of the finish.

However you choose to follow the race — sprawled on the sofa with ITV, squinting at a phone stream in a pub garden, or gripping the steering wheel while 5 Live’s commentator loses their voice over the Elbow — the 2026 Grand National is one event you genuinely don’t want to miss a fence of. Sort your setup in advance, and all that is left is picking the winner.