How to Watch Cricket Live in the USA (2026): Every Streaming Option

If you live in the USA and want to watch cricket live in 2026, Willow TV is the primary answer. It is the exclusive US home of the Indian Premier League, broadcasts Major League Cricket, carries most ICC events, and shows the bulk of international bilateral series. You can access Willow through a direct subscription, on Sling TV's Desi Binge Plus and Dakshin Flex packs starting at about $10 a month, on Fubo's sports plans, or as part of standard cable packages on Comcast, Dish, and Spectrum.

JioHotstar — the platform that holds Indian cricket rights inside India — is not directly available to US viewers. ESPN holds some Caribbean rights for ICC events. Major League Cricket has free highlights and select matches on its own YouTube channel. And paid IPTV subscriptions carry cricket channels as part of broader multi-sport packages. The rest of this guide breaks down each option, what it carries, what it costs, and which one fits which viewer.

Before picking a streaming service, it helps to know which tournament you actually care about. Cricket rights split tournament by tournament — no single service carries everything.

Willow TV has been the dedicated US cricket broadcaster for over a decade and remains the single most important name on this list. It is a 24/7 cricket channel — when there are no live matches, it runs replays, classic series, analysis, and cricket-specific programming. For most US-based cricket fans, a Willow subscription in some form is the foundation, and the only question is which path to it is cheapest for you.

There are four practical ways to access Willow TV in 2026:

Sling TV is the lowest-friction option for cricket-first viewers in the USA. The Desi Binge Plus pack starts around $10 per month and bundles Willow TV with Star Plus, Star Bharat, Star Gold, Colors, Zee TV, and other major South Asian entertainment channels. Dakshin Flex covers the same Willow access plus Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam content.

For someone whose primary goal is IPL, MLC, the T20 World Cup, and a few South Asian entertainment channels on the side, this is the best value in the US cricket market today. You can cancel anytime, there is no annual commitment, and Sling runs on every major streaming device.

Fubo is the right choice if you want cricket plus a full US sports lineup in one subscription. The Sports plan at $45.99 for month one and $55.99 thereafter includes Willow TV alongside NFL Network, NBA TV, MLB Network, ESPN, FS1, and the major regional sports networks.

The math works out if you would otherwise pay separately for Sling and a US sports service. The math does not work out if you only watch cricket — Sling Desi Binge Plus delivers the same Willow access for one-fifth the price.

ESPN holds Caribbean broadcasting rights for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 and has historically carried some international cricket as a sub-licensed option. For US-based viewers, ESPN+ occasionally streams select ICC matches but is not a primary cricket destination. Treat it as a complementary option if you already have ESPN+ for other sports, not a standalone cricket plan.

Two free options exist in 2026, both limited but worth knowing.

Willow's official YouTube channel streams select USA cricket matches for free, including announced free streams of the USA team's group-stage matches at the T20 World Cup 2026. Coverage is intermittent — you cannot rely on YouTube for the full tournament, but specific high-interest matches do appear there at no cost.

The Major League Cricket Network YouTube channel streams free highlights, classic matches, and select live games during the MLC season. Again, not a full tournament feed, but legitimately free.

JioHotstar is the consolidated platform that emerged from the merger of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar. Inside India, it is the exclusive home of IPL, T20 World Cup, and most major cricket. JioHotstar previously offered free IPL streaming in some markets; that free tier no longer exists for IPL 2026 — it is a paid subscription only.

Critically for US-based viewers: JioHotstar is not directly available in the United States. The service is geo-locked to India. Viewers who try to access it from the US either need a JioHotstar International account where supported, or use a VPN routed through India — which violates JioHotstar's terms of service and can result in account suspension. For US viewers, Willow remains the legal and recommended path.

Paid IPTV subscriptions are a third category — separate from US cable and separate from cricket-specific services like Willow. The pitch is a single subscription that includes cricket channels alongside thousands of other live channels covering NFL, NBA, soccer, premium entertainment, and international content. For viewers who watch cricket plus a lot of other live sports and entertainment, an IPTV plan can replace three or four separate subscriptions at a lower combined cost.

ViviMate is one option in this category, with 22,000+ live channels including cricket coverage and 80,000+ on-demand titles. The full lineup is on the channels page, and pricing tiers are on the pricing page. For a wider survey of the paid IPTV market, see our roundup of the best IPTV providers in 2026 and our look at the best IPTV for sports.

If your cricket viewing is primarily IPL and you want the cleanest licensed path, Willow on Sling is still the simplest answer. IPTV becomes interesting when cricket is one of several sports and entertainment categories you want in a single subscription.

Pricing changes frequently and promo periods affect the first-month cost. The figures below are the standard rates each service publishes on its main landing pages as of mid-2026.

Pick Sling Desi Binge Plus if your goal is the cheapest legal way to watch IPL, MLC, T20 World Cup, and the rest of Willow's cricket catalog. At about $10 per month, no other option matches the value for cricket-first viewers.

Pick Fubo if you want cricket plus NFL, NBA, MLB, and US soccer in one subscription and you would otherwise pay separately for two services.

Pick Willow.tv direct if you only want cricket and have no interest in South Asian entertainment channels or US sports.

Pick a paid IPTV subscription if cricket is one of several sports and entertainment categories you watch, and you want a single bill that covers everything from cricket to NFL to premium movies.

Pick the free YouTube options to supplement any of the above — they are limited but cost nothing, and Willow's free USA team coverage at the T20 World Cup is a genuine bonus. If you are still mapping out paid options, our broader take on the best IPTV service for the USA in 2026 covers the wider streaming landscape.

Every option in this guide runs on essentially the same devices. Willow TV (direct, via Sling, or via Fubo) has native apps on Amazon Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Google TV, Android TV, iOS, Android, Samsung and LG Smart TVs, Xbox, PlayStation, and through any modern desktop browser. You can also Chromecast or AirPlay from a phone if your TV does not have the app installed.

Buffering and stream quality on Willow have historically been weaker than top-tier US sports services — IPL playoff nights especially can strain the platform. If you have a fast internet connection and still see buffering, switching from Wi-Fi to ethernet on your streaming device almost always fixes it.

A few honest warnings before you sign up for anything.