How to Watch Cricket Live in 2026: IPL, Tests & World Cup

Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world by viewership, but watching it outside the traditional cricket-playing nations can be surprisingly difficult. Broadcast rights are fragmented by tournament, format, and region. The IPL is on one platform, international Test cricket on another, and World Cup coverage varies by country. For the growing cricket fanbase in the United States, Europe, and other non-traditional markets, finding reliable live streams requires navigating a maze of regional broadcast deals.

Here is every way to watch cricket live in 2026, covering the IPL, international Test matches, ODIs, T20Is, and ICC tournaments.

Understanding Cricket’s Broadcast Structure

Cricket’s broadcast rights are sold separately for each major tournament and bilateral series, creating a patchwork of platforms:

Tournament/Format	Primary Broadcasters	Key Markets
IPL (Indian Premier League)	Star Sports / JioCinema (India), Willow TV (US)	India, US, UK, Australia
ICC Events (World Cup, T20 WC, Champions Trophy)	Star Sports (India), Sky Sports (UK), Fox Cricket (Australia), Willow (US)	Global
England Cricket (home Tests/ODIs)	Sky Sports Cricket (UK), TNT Sports	UK, global
Australia Cricket (home matches)	Fox Cricket, Channel 7 (Aus), Willow (US)	Australia, US
Pakistan Super League	Various by region	Pakistan, UK, US
Big Bash League	Fox Cricket (Aus), Willow (US)	Australia, US
South Africa Cricket	SuperSport (SA)	South Africa, global
West Indies Cricket	Various by series	Caribbean, UK, US

No single official subscription covers all of cricket. Even within a single country, you may need multiple services to follow different tournaments and series.

Watching Cricket in the United States

Willow TV ($9.99/month or $60/year)

Willow TV is the primary cricket broadcaster in the United States. It carries a substantial amount of live cricket:

What Willow TV includes:

• IPL live matches
• ICC events (World Cup, T20 World Cup, Champions Trophy)
• International bilateral series (select India, Australia, England, Pakistan tours)
• Pakistan Super League
• Big Bash League
• Caribbean Premier League
• Domestic cricket from various countries

What Willow TV does not include:

• English county cricket
• Some bilateral series depending on rights negotiations
• Consistent on-demand replays (availability varies)

ESPN+ ($10.99/month)

ESPN+ carries some cricket content, primarily ICC events and select bilateral series. The cricket coverage is inconsistent — some series are available, others are not. ESPN+ should be considered supplementary to Willow rather than a replacement.

Paramount+ / CBS Sports

Paramount+ and CBS Sports have carried some cricket content in the US, particularly around ICC events. Coverage depends on the specific rights deal for each tournament.

Time Zone Challenge for US Cricket Fans

Cricket’s scheduling creates significant time zone issues for American fans:

Origin	Typical Start Time (ET)	Typical Start Time (PT)
IPL matches (India)	10:00 AM - 2:00 PM	7:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Test cricket in India	12:00 AM - 4:00 AM	9:00 PM - 1:00 AM
Test cricket in England	6:00 AM - 7:00 AM	3:00 AM - 4:00 AM
Test cricket in Australia	6:00 PM - 11:00 PM (day before)	3:00 PM - 8:00 PM
ODIs/T20Is in India	4:30 AM - 9:00 AM	1:30 AM - 6:00 AM

IPL matches work reasonably well for East Coast fans (late morning starts), but Test cricket from India and England requires either very early mornings or very late nights. Australian cricket, ironically, has the most US-friendly timing.

Watching Cricket in the United Kingdom

Sky Sports Cricket

Sky Sports holds the primary cricket broadcast rights in the UK. Sky Sports Cricket is a dedicated channel covering:

• England home Tests, ODIs, and T20Is — All matches live with extensive pre and post-match coverage
• IPL — Live coverage of the Indian Premier League
• Australia tours — The Ashes and bilateral series
• ICC events — World Cup, T20 World Cup coverage
• County cricket — Select domestic matches

Sky Sports Cricket is available through Sky TV packages or NOW Sports (34.99 GBP/month). The commentary team — featuring the likes of Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton, and David Lloyd — is considered among the best in cricket broadcasting.

TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport)

TNT Sports carries some international cricket, including select Australian domestic cricket and bilateral series that Sky does not hold. The coverage complements Sky rather than replacing it.

BBC (Free)

The BBC carries cricket highlights and some live radio commentary through BBC Test Match Special. Select matches may air on BBC TV, but the days of free-to-air live cricket in the UK are largely over.

Free-to-Air: Channel 4

Channel 4 has carried some England cricket, particularly during COVID-era deals. Availability varies by year and depends on rights negotiations. When available, it offers free live coverage of England Test matches.

Watching Cricket in India

Star Sports and JioCinema

In India, Star Sports (TV) and JioCinema (streaming) are the dominant cricket platforms:

• Star Sports network — Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Telugu, and other language feeds
• JioCinema — Free or low-cost streaming of IPL and other cricket
• Hotstar — Previously the main cricket streaming platform, now integrated with JioCinema

Indian fans have the easiest and cheapest access to cricket of any market. Most IPL and international cricket is available through affordable subscriptions or free streaming.

Watching Cricket in Australia

Fox Cricket and Channel 7

Australian cricket is split between Fox Cricket (pay TV/streaming) and Channel 7 (free-to-air):

• Fox Cricket — Available through Foxtel or Kayo Sports ($25 AUD/month). Carries all Australian home matches, BBL, and international cricket.
• Channel 7 — Free-to-air coverage of select Australian home Tests and BBL matches.

Kayo Sports at $25 AUD/month is the most popular option for Australian cricket fans who have cut the cord from Foxtel. It includes Fox Cricket plus a broad sports lineup.

IPTV — Every Cricket Feed, One Subscription

Cricket’s fragmented broadcast structure makes it one of the sports that benefits most from IPTV. Instead of subscribing to Willow in the US, Sky Sports in the UK, and hunting for PSL or Big Bash streams, IPTV provides access to cricket broadcasts from every major market.

With IPTVBROS, cricket fans get:

• Star Sports (all feeds) — Star Sports 1, 1 HD, 1 Hindi, 1 Tamil, and more — complete IPL and Indian cricket coverage with multiple language options
• Sky Sports Cricket — England’s premium cricket broadcast with the best commentary team in the sport
• Willow TV — US cricket coverage
• Fox Cricket — Australian cricket and Big Bash League
• SuperSport — South African cricket and touring teams
• TNT Sports — Additional UK cricket coverage
• beIN Sports — Middle Eastern cricket broadcasts
• PTV Sports — Pakistan cricket coverage
• Channel Eye / Dialog — Sri Lankan cricket
• Gazi TV — Bangladesh cricket
• 15,000+ channels across 124+ countries

Why Multiple Feeds Transform Cricket Viewing

Different broadcasts offer dramatically different experiences:

Star Sports Hindi vs. Star Sports English: Hindi commentary during IPL matches delivers a completely different energy — more animated, more crowd-reactive, more emotional. English commentary is more analytical. Having both lets you choose your mood.

Sky Sports vs. Willow for England Tests: Sky Sports Cricket production (pitch maps, DRS visualizations, Hawk-Eye analysis) is leagues ahead of most other broadcasts. If you are in the US with Willow, IPTV lets you switch to the Sky feed for a richer viewing experience.

Fox Cricket for Australian perspective: Australian broadcasters bring a directness and humor that other networks lack. For Ashes series, switching between the UK (Sky) and Australian (Fox) feeds between sessions gives you both perspectives on the most heated rivalry in cricket.

IPL Coverage

The IPL is the most-watched cricket league in the world, and IPTV provides the widest access:

• Star Sports feeds — Multiple language options including Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada
• International feeds — Willow (US), Sky Sports (UK), Fox (Australia), and more
• 4K where available — IPL broadcasts in 4K through select feeds, and IPTVBROS supports 4K streaming

With matches every day during the two-month IPL season, having reliable, multi-language access makes a significant difference.

Test Cricket — The Five-Day Challenge

Test cricket presents a unique streaming challenge: matches run for five days, with roughly six hours of play each day. Following a Test series requires sustained access over extended periods.

IPTV’s value proposition is strongest for Test cricket fans:

• No per-match or per-series charges — watch every ball of every Test
• Switch between home and away broadcasts for different perspectives
• Record sessions with TiviMate’s DVR for time-shifted viewing
• Follow multiple series simultaneously when schedules overlap

Cost Comparison

Setup	Monthly Cost	IPL	International Tests	ICC Events	Multiple Languages
Willow TV only	$9.99	Yes	Some	Yes	English only
Willow + ESPN+	$20.98	Yes	Some	Yes	English only
Sky Sports (UK, via NOW)	~$44	Yes	England home	Yes	English only
Kayo Sports (Australia)	~$17	No	Australia home	Some	English only
IPTVBROS	Starting at $7.51	Yes	All markets	Yes	10+ languages

For cricket fans in non-traditional markets (US, Europe, Middle East), IPTV provides broader coverage at a lower cost than any official alternative. The multi-language access alone — Hindi, English, Tamil, Urdu — is unavailable through any single official subscription.

Setting Up IPTV for Cricket

1. Choose your device. Fire TV Stick is the most popular choice. For long Test match sessions, a smart TV with a native app avoids needing the streaming stick to run for hours.
2. Start a free trial. Get a free 24-hour trial from IPTVBROS. Time it to an IPL match day or a Test match day for the best test of live cricket quality.
3. Install a player app. TiviMate is ideal — its EPG shows match schedules, and the recording feature lets you capture sessions for later viewing.
4. Set up cricket favorites. Create a favorites group with Star Sports (all feeds), Sky Sports Cricket, Willow, Fox Cricket, and SuperSport. Having all cricket channels one click away saves time on match days.
5. Test during live play. Verify stream quality during actual live cricket, not just between matches. Cricket streams need to be stable for hours at a time, not just minutes.

Cricket Viewing Tips

Match the broadcast to the series. Watch India vs. England on Star Sports for the Indian perspective and atmosphere, then switch to Sky Sports for the English analysis during breaks. For the Ashes, alternate between Fox Cricket and Sky Sports between sessions.

Use the EPG for overlapping fixtures. During busy international windows, multiple matches may run simultaneously across different time zones. The EPG shows you exactly what is on and when.

Recording for Test cricket. If a Test match starts at 4 AM in your time zone, record the first two sessions through TiviMate and watch them in the morning. You can catch the final session live in the afternoon.

Second screen for scores. The ESPNcricinfo app or Cricbuzz provides ball-by-ball scoring and commentary. Run it alongside your IPTV stream for detailed statistics and wagon wheels.

Which Option Fits Your Situation?

IPL-only fan in the US: Willow TV at $9.99/month covers IPL matches. Adequate if that is all you watch.

Test cricket fan in a non-traditional market: IPTV is the only way to get Sky Sports Cricket, Star Sports, Fox Cricket, and SuperSport without stacking multiple expensive subscriptions.

Multi-format fan who follows IPL, Tests, and ICC events: IPTV provides the broadest coverage at the lowest cost, with multi-language commentary options unavailable elsewhere.

Diaspora fan who wants home-country broadcasts: If you live outside India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, or the Caribbean and want commentary in your preferred language, IPTV gives you direct access to home-country feeds that are otherwise geo-restricted.

Try IPTVBROS free for 24 hours during a live cricket match. Test the Star Sports, Sky Sports Cricket, and regional feeds. If the quality holds up across a full session, choose a plan and get access to every cricket broadcast worldwide.

For more sports streaming options, read our guide to watching live sports without cable. To understand how IPTV technology works, check out What is IPTV?. And if you want to compare IPTV against traditional cable, see our IPTV vs Cable breakdown.