Short answer: in the US, Sling TV's Desi packs are the best value — around $10 a month for Willow HD plus Star, Asianet, Vijay TV, Maa TV and a stack of South Asian channels, with no cable subscription. If cricket is the only reason, Willow TV alone is $9.99 and holds the US rights to the IPL and ICC events. For the widest live channel list, YuppTV carries 200+ channels across every major language. For a single network's shows, ZEE5, SonyLIV or Sun NXT individually. And one thing to know before searching further: Hotstar is not available in the US — it withdrew in 2021, and JioHotstar serves India, not America.
At a glance
Indian channels in the US, 2026
| Best value | Sling Dakshin Flex — ~$10/mo |
| Cricket only | Willow TV — $9.99/mo |
| Most live channels | YuppTV — 200+ |
| One network | ZEE5, SonyLIV, Sun NXT |
| Not available | Hotstar / JioHotstar |
Sling's Desi packs
Sling has built the strongest South Asian offering in the US, and it doesn't require a base TV package.
Dakshin Flex, around $10 a month, is the one most people want: Willow HD and Willow Xtra for cricket, plus Asianet, Asianet Movies, Star India, Star Maa and its sister channels, Star Suvarna, Vijay TV, Vijay Super and Hotstar Specials on demand. Strong on South Indian languages as well as Hindi.
Desi Binge Plus, around $10 for a first month and roughly $15 after, leans towards on-demand: SonyLIV, Star on demand, Simply South and others, alongside Willow.
Urdu pack, around $15, carries Hum TV, Geo, ARY and others.
Sling also allows three simultaneous streams and includes recording hours, which matters more than it sounds — see the time-zone point below. Prices shift with promotions, so check the current offer.
Cricket: Willow and the alternatives
Willow holds the US rights to most major cricket — the IPL, ICC events, and the domestic leagues of England, Australia, Pakistan and others.
Three ways to get it:
- Willow TV directly — $9.99 a month, on Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, iOS, Samsung TVs and the web. The simplest option if cricket is all you want.
- Sling's Desi packs — about $10, and you get the entertainment channels too. Usually the better deal.
- Fubo or DirecTV — Willow appears in some packages, but at a much higher monthly cost unless you want those services anyway.
ESPN+ carries some international matches, though not the full schedule. And if you're already paying for a big live TV package, check whether Willow is in it before subscribing separately.
YuppTV and the network apps
YuppTV is the aggregator: 200+ live channels across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali and Punjabi, with catch-up, on phones, smart TVs, Fire TV and browsers. If your priority is the widest live channel list rather than cricket, start here.
ZEE5 for Zee's networks and library. SonyLIV for Sony's channels. Sun NXT for South Indian languages, with a dedicated US Roku channel — useful, because app availability on Roku is patchy for this category.
If you watch one network's serials and nothing else, a single app is usually the cheapest route by a wide margin.
Cable and satellite packs
DISH and DirecTV both sell South Asian add-on packs, and cable operators carry some channels regionally. They generally cost more than the streaming routes and involve a contract and equipment.
They're worth considering if you already have one of those services, or if you want everything on a traditional TV guide with a proper DVR. Otherwise the streaming packs give you the same channels for less.
The Hotstar question
This is the most common dead end. Hotstar withdrew from the United States in 2021, and JioHotstar — the merged Indian platform — serves India and select markets, not America. Its content was redistributed: some Star and Hotstar Specials titles appear in Sling's Desi packs, some went to other US platforms.
So if you're searching for a way to get Hotstar in the US, the honest answer is that there isn't a legitimate one, and services claiming to provide it are region-shifting or worse. The functional replacements are Sling's packs, YuppTV and the network apps.
Which to choose
Cricket plus entertainment: Sling Dakshin Flex, around $10.
Cricket only: Willow TV, $9.99.
The most live channels: YuppTV.
One network's shows: ZEE5, SonyLIV or Sun NXT alone.
South Indian languages: Dakshin Flex or Sun NXT.
You already have DISH or DirecTV: add their South Asian pack rather than starting a second subscription.
Everything except cable is month-to-month, so subscribing around a tournament and cancelling afterwards is entirely normal. How to keep the total down.
Check your device first
App availability for this category varies more than for mainstream services, and by country as well as platform — ZEE5's Roku app, for instance, covers many countries but not the US.
So before you subscribe, open your device's app store and confirm the specific app is listed. Android TV and Fire TV have the widest support; Roku is the most restricted. Which device runs the most apps.
What to avoid
This community is heavily targeted by services promising every Indian channel plus all the cricket for $10–15 a month, sold over WhatsApp with no company details.
The arithmetic exposes them: Willow pays for exclusive US cricket rights, and Sling pays for its channel carriage. A service offering all of it for the price of one Willow subscription isn't paying for any of it. In practice it fails during India matches and IPL finals — exactly when you bought it — can't be installed from official app stores, and disappears in enforcement actions without refunds. How to check any service.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best way to watch Indian channels in the USA? Sling's Dakshin Flex at around $10 for cricket plus entertainment, or YuppTV for the widest live channel list.
How do I watch the IPL in the US? Willow TV, either directly at $9.99 or through Sling's Desi packs.
Is Hotstar available in the US? No. It withdrew in 2021, and JioHotstar serves India rather than America.
What's the cheapest option? A single network app such as ZEE5 or Sun NXT, if you only watch that network.
Can I get Tamil and Telugu channels? Yes — Sling's Dakshin Flex is strong on South Indian channels, and Sun NXT covers those languages.
Do I need cable? No. Sling, YuppTV, Willow and the network apps all work over any internet connection.
Sources: Sling TV's Desi package listings, Willow TV pricing and Rolling Stone's US cricket streaming comparison, September 2026. Packages and prices change frequently and promotional rates are common — confirm with the provider before subscribing.