SBS to deliver exclusive live coverage of the 2026 US Midterm Elections – Australian viewers will be able to follow the 2026 US Midterm Elections live through an extended block on SBS On Demand, supported by coverage on SBS, SBS2 and SBS News.
The broadcaster will carry election coverage from its United States partner PBS on Wednesday 4 November. The online schedule begins at 10am AEDT and continues through the afternoon as results arrive from across the country.
For Australian audiences, the arrangement provides a free way to follow the contests that will determine the balance of power in the US Congress. The broadest coverage will be available through SBS On Demand, while selected hours will also screen on free-to-air television.
How to watch the US Midterm Elections on SBS
SBS On Demand will begin its election-day programming with the regular edition of PBS NewsHour at 10am AEDT. A dedicated PBS NewsHour Pre-election Special follows at 11am.
The main PBS News US Midterms Election Special will then stream from 12 noon until 3.30pm AEDT. SBS has advised that the coverage may be extended if the developing results require additional time.
- 10am AEDT: PBS NewsHour on SBS On Demand
- 11am AEDT: PBS NewsHour Pre-election Special on SBS On Demand
- 12 noon to 3.30pm AEDT: PBS News US Midterms Election Special on SBS On Demand, with the option to extend
- 1pm to 2pm local time: live coverage on SBS across Australia, with the Western Australian broadcast carrying the final hour at 1pm AWST
- 4.50pm AEDT: a repeat of the final hour on SBS2
The main SBS channel will carry one hour of the live PBS special from 1pm to 2pm in local time zones around Australia. In Western Australia, viewers will receive the final hour of the coverage from 1pm AWST.
PBS anchors lead the live results coverage
PBS NewsHour co-anchors Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett will lead the election special. They will be joined by the wider PBS News team for real-time results, reporting from around the United States and analysis of the major congressional and state races.
The midterms take place halfway through a presidential term. Therefore, the results will shape the balance of power in Congress and the political environment for the remaining two years of the current administration.
PBS will track the key contests as votes are counted. In addition, its correspondents and analysts will examine the issues influencing voters in different parts of the country.
Watch the SBS News explainer
SBS News has examined where the most important midterm contests may be decided and what the result could mean for the final two years of the presidential term.
Ben Lewis reports for SBS World News
SBS will also provide its own reporting before and during the vote. Chief International Correspondent Ben Lewis is in the United States this week and will file special reports for SBS World News.
Those reports will cover the issues shaping the campaign in different regions, ranging from the southern border to the industrial states of the Rust Belt. They will screen during the nightly 6.30pm edition of SBS World News.
Alongside the television and streaming coverage, SBS News will run a live blog on Wednesday 4 November. Readers will be able to follow results, developments and analysis through the SBS News website and app.
PBS NewsHour coverage of the 2026 US Midterm Elections begins at 10am AEDT on Wednesday 4 November on SBS On Demand. The live election special streams from 12 noon, with one hour also screening on SBS from 1pm local time.
For more TV Central SBS news, head to our SBS coverage. View the latest programming through the public SBS On Demand website.