Short answer: if the reason you want an Indian IPTV service is sport, start with who owns the rights in the US, not with channel lists. Willow holds the IPL, ICC tournaments and India's home series here, and it's sold direct for $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year, or inside Sling, YouTube TV and Prime Video add-ons. Any "Indian channels" service promising Star Sports, Sony Sports and every IPL match for a flat $15 doesn't hold those rights in the US.
At a glance
Indian sport in the US, October 2026
| IPL | Willow (some Sunday games free in 2026) |
| ICC World Cups | Willow, deal runs to end of 2027 |
| India home series | Willow |
| India away tours | Depends on the host board; check per series |
| Kabaddi, hockey | Patchy; start with the league's official app |
Why sport is different from serials
Indian entertainment reaches the US mostly through the broadcasters themselves. Zee runs ZEE5, Sony runs SonyLIV, and so on. Sport doesn't work like that. Star Sports and Sony Sports buy Indian rights for India. US rights are a separate sale, competition by competition, and in recent cycles most of the cricket ones have gone to a single US company: Willow.
That's why an "Indian channels" pack can carry Star Plus shows and still have no IPL. It's also why a seller who claims to stream Star Sports live into the US for $15 a month is telling you, without meaning to, that they don't have a licence. Star Sports isn't licensed for US distribution; Willow holds the US rights to the IPL.
The rest of this guide is a map of who has what in the US, so you can buy the one or two subscriptions you actually need.
The US rights map, competition by competition
Rights as published by the rights holders and in trade coverage, checked October 2026. Cricket rights are sold series by series, so confirm the specific event before paying.
| Competition | US rights holder | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IPL | Willow | All 74 matches in 2026; Sunday evening games were free on Willow |
| ICC men's and women's events | Willow | Current deal covers 2024 to end of 2027 |
| India home internationals | Willow | Tests, ODIs, T20Is played in India |
| India away tours | Host board's US partner | Often Willow; West Indies home tours have been on ESPN's streaming service |
| Cricket at LA 2028 | NBCUniversal (Olympic rights) | Cricket returns as a T20 event |
| Pro Kabaddi League | Varies by season | Check the league's official site for international streaming |
| India hockey internationals | Varies by event | Olympic hockey via NBCUniversal; other FIH events check FIH's own listings |
For the narrower question of Willow against ESPN's cricket, our Willow vs ESPN+ comparison covers which boards' home tours sit where.
One date to watch: Willow's ICC agreement runs to the end of 2027. The ICC sells the next cycle separately, so the US home of the 2028 and later events isn't settled yet. Don't buy a multi-year plan from anyone on the strength of future World Cups.
Ways to get Willow
You don't need to buy a separate cricket service if one you already pay for includes Willow. Here are the routes that existed in 2026.
| Route | What it costs | Makes sense if |
|---|---|---|
| Willow direct | $9.99/mo or $79.99/yr | Cricket is the main thing you watch |
| Sling Desi Binge Plus | $15/mo after a $10 first month | You also want Indian shows and news |
| Sling Dakshin Flex | $10/mo | South Indian household that wants cricket |
| YouTube TV Sports Plus | Add-on on top of YouTube TV | You already pay for YouTube TV |
| Prime Video Channels | Add-on to Prime | You'd rather keep everything in the Prime app |
Two cautions. Some bundled versions carry the linear Willow channel but not every extra stream on Willow's own app, and when two matches overlap that matters. And a Sling pack only saves money if someone in the house actually watches the Indian shows that come with it. Our Sling Desi review has the detail on each pack.
India's away tours: the awkward gap
Home series are simple. Away tours aren't, because the host country's board sells the rights. When India tours England, Australia, South Africa or New Zealand, the US rights belong to whoever bought that board's international package.
In practice, Willow has picked up many of these, and ESPN's streaming service (now ESPN Select) has carried West Indies and New Zealand home internationals under board deals. But it changes from cycle to cycle. The reliable method is simple: a week before the tour, search the rights holder's schedule for the specific series. If neither Willow nor ESPN lists it, check the host board's own announcements before assuming it isn't available.
What not to do: use a VPN to reach JioHotstar or another foreign app. Those apps are licensed for their own country and their terms forbid it.
Kabaddi, hockey and the rest
Outside cricket, US coverage of Indian sport is thin and moves around, so we'll be honest about what we can and can't confirm.
Kabaddi. The Pro Kabaddi League has a real US following, but its international streaming partner has changed between seasons. The league's official website and social channels announce international viewing each season; start there rather than with a reseller.
Hockey. Olympic hockey, including India's matches, falls under NBCUniversal's US Olympic rights, which means NBC and Peacock. For FIH Pro League and other internationals, FIH publishes where matches can be watched in each country, including its own streaming platform where no broadcaster has bought rights.
Badminton, chess, wrestling. These usually sit with the sport's federation streaming platform or a general sports service. If an Indian athlete is in a final, the federation's site is the quickest place to find the US stream.
The general principle from our guide to sports rights and IPTV applies: rights are sold country by country, so the question is always "who has it in the US", never "which channel shows it in India".
Match times in the US
Indian sport is scheduled for Indian evenings, which means US mornings. Knowing that changes what you need from a service: replays and full-match on demand matter as much as live coverage.
| Event | Local start | US Eastern (daylight time) |
|---|---|---|
| IPL evening match | 7:30pm IST | 10:00am ET |
| IPL afternoon match | 3:30pm IST | 6:00am ET |
| Test in India | 9:30am IST | midnight ET |
| Test in England | 11:00am UK | 6:00am ET |
Pacific viewers subtract three hours, which turns an IPL evening game into a 7am breakfast match. In US winter, IST is 10.5 hours ahead of Eastern, so add an hour.
Because of those hours, a streaming device that wakes fast and stays wired helps more than people expect. Our pick of the best IPTV box for sports covers the hardware side.
Why "cricket included" is a red flag
Read the top results for Indian IPTV services and you'll see the same pitch: hundreds of Indian channels, Star Sports and Sony Sports included, every IPL match, from about $15 a month or $250 for five years. None of them names a rights holder.
The arithmetic doesn't work. Willow alone charges $79.99 a year for the cricket, and that's just one rights package. A service that also carries Star, Zee, Colors and Sony entertainment, plus Indian sports channels that aren't licensed in the US at all, for less than Willow's price, isn't paying anyone.
The practical risk is worse than the legal one: these services tend to fail exactly during big matches, when servers are overloaded and rights holders send takedowns. Five-year plans paid in advance are the worst version of this. Our list of IPTV scam signs covers the patterns.
A sensible setup for an Indian sports household
Most families need far less than they think.
- Cricket only, all year: Willow annual, $79.99. Done.
- IPL only: Willow monthly for April and May, roughly $20, plus any free Sunday games.
- Cricket plus Hindi shows and news: Sling Desi Binge Plus, one bill.
- Cricket plus US sports: keep your US service and add Willow direct, or Willow through YouTube TV's sports add-on if you're already there.
- Kabaddi or hockey fan: nothing permanent; buy the specific event when it's on.
And set a reminder for late 2027, when the ICC's next US deal should be known.
Quick answers
Which IPTV service has Indian cricket in the US? Willow holds the IPL, ICC events and India's home series in the US. You can buy it direct or through Sling, YouTube TV and Prime Video add-ons.
How much does Willow cost? $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year direct, as of October 2026.
Can I watch Star Sports in the US? Not legally as a live channel. Star Sports is licensed for India; the US rights to the competitions it shows are sold separately, mainly to Willow.
Were any IPL 2026 matches free in the US? Yes. Willow streamed the Sunday evening IPL games free in 2026.
Who shows India's away tours in the US? Whoever bought the host board's US rights. Willow often has them; ESPN's service has carried West Indies and New Zealand home series.
Where can I watch Pro Kabaddi in the US? It changes by season. Check the league's official site for its international streaming partner.
Will Olympic cricket at LA 2028 be on TV in the US? Yes. NBCUniversal holds US Olympic rights, so it will be on NBC's platforms, including Peacock.
Are Indian IPTV services with Star Sports legal in the US? No. A service carrying Indian sports channels in the US without a rights holder's licence isn't licensed, and those streams are often the first to fail during big matches.
Sports rights are sold competition by competition and change between seasons; Willow's ICC deal runs to the end of 2027. Prices are US list prices published by each service. Kabaddi and hockey streaming arrangements change often and couldn't be confirmed for the 2026-27 season. Checked October 2026.