How to Watch IPL in the USA: Willow TV Guide

You can watch the IPL legally in the USA on Willow by Cricbuzz, either with a direct streaming subscription or through a television provider that carries Willow. The direct U.S. price was $9.99 monthly or $79.99 annually when checked on 18 August 2026.

The 2026 tournament has finished, but Willow remains the official U.S. home of the IPL. Before the next season, recheck its schedule and price page because packages, promotions and match times can change.

IPL viewing options in the USA

Option	What you get	Best for	Price note
Willow by Cricbuzz direct	Willow premium streams, replays and cricket library	Viewers who mainly want cricket	$9.99/month or $79.99/year checked 18 Aug 2026
Sling package with Willow	Willow inside a live-TV app	Viewers wanting cricket plus South Asian channels	Package price varies
Fubo or YouTube TV add-on	Willow alongside a broader sports bundle	Existing subscribers	Base plan and add-on may both apply
Cable, satellite or IPTV	Linear Willow channel; provider login may unlock apps	Households keeping pay TV	Ask provider which tier includes Willow
Limited free promotion	Selected matches or Premium Free videos only	Casual viewers	Not a full-season guarantee

The direct plan is normally the simplest choice if IPL is the main reason you are subscribing. A television bundle can make sense when you already pay for it or want other channels too.

Fastest setup: subscribe directly to Willow

The direct route takes four steps:

1. Open Willow by Cricbuzz on the web or install its current app.
2. Create an account with an email address. Login uses a one-time email code rather than a permanent password.
3. Choose the monthly or annual U.S. plan and complete payment.
4. Open the live schedule, select the IPL match and sign in on any additional device with the same account.

The monthly plan is cheaper for someone watching only the IPL’s roughly two-month window. The annual plan costs less than eight individual months and includes other cricket rights carried by Willow throughout the year.

Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled. Willow says processed fees are generally non-refundable, so cancel auto-renewal before the next billing date if you only want one season.

Watch IPL through Sling, Fubo or YouTube TV

Willow is also distributed through several live-TV services. Willow’s official provider list includes Sling, Fubo and YouTube TV, as well as DIRECTV Stream.

Do not compare only the advertised add-on price. Check the full checkout total:

• Does the service require a base package first?
• Is Willow included or sold as a sports/international add-on?
• Does the plan include Willow Extra when matches overlap?
• Can the provider login unlock Willow’s app and replays?
• Are there cancellation deadlines or promotional price increases?

Sling has historically offered low-cost cricket-focused packages, while Fubo and YouTube TV target households wanting a wider live-sports lineup. Current plan names and prices change too often to hard-code without a checkout-date label.

Cable and satellite providers that carry Willow

Willow lists major distributors including DISH, Verizon Fios, Spectrum, Xfinity, Optimum and DIRECTV. Channel numbers and package tiers vary by location.

If Willow already appears in your television lineup, try “Login with TV Provider” in the Willow by Cricbuzz app. That may give you streaming and on-demand access without buying a duplicate direct subscription.

Ask the provider specifically for Willow TV and Willow Extra. When multiple live cricket matches overlap, the main channel carries the priority event, Willow Extra can carry the second, and another stream may be available through the app or website.

Devices supported by Willow by Cricbuzz

The service supports:

• Web browsers on laptops and desktops.
• iPhone and iPad.
• Android phones and tablets.
• Apple TV and AirPlay.
• Roku.
• Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick.
• Android TV, Google TV and Chromecast.
• Recent Samsung smart TVs.

Willow’s current FAQ says direct subscribers can watch premium content on two devices at the same time. That is useful when two household members want different matches or one person moves from phone to television.

Older Samsung televisions may not support the newest app. A Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV or Chromecast is the practical workaround rather than replacing the television.

What time are IPL matches in US time zones?

Most 2026 evening matches started at 7:30 p.m. in India. During U.S. daylight time, that translated to:

India start	Eastern	Central	Mountain	Pacific
7:30 p.m. IST	10:00 a.m.	9:00 a.m.	8:00 a.m.	7:00 a.m.
3:30 p.m. IST	6:00 a.m.	5:00 a.m.	4:00 a.m.	3:00 a.m.

Alaska and Hawaii require another conversion, and the relationship changes around daylight-saving transitions. Use the ET/PT time printed on Willow’s match page for the next season rather than relying on an old screenshot.

Morning starts are inconvenient on the West Coast but easier than India’s late evening suggests. Weekend double-headers produce the earliest U.S. viewing windows.

Can you watch IPL free in the USA?

There is no general Willow free trial at the current check. Anyone promising the entire IPL free should identify a legitimate, current rights-holder promotion rather than an unauthorized stream.

Willow labels some clips or matches “Premium Free,” and it made selected Sunday evening-slot IPL games free in the USA and Canada during 2026. That was a season-specific promotion, not a permanent promise for every future Sunday or playoff.

The reliable plan is to budget for a subscription. Check Willow’s official IPL page just before the season for any newly announced free matches.

Can you use JioHotstar in the USA?

JioHotstar serves the Indian market; it is not the official U.S. IPL rights platform. An Indian subscription does not automatically grant U.S. access, and location checks can block playback.

Using the licensed U.S. service avoids several problems: payment-region mismatches, unsupported apps, unreliable picture quality and possible violations of platform terms. It also gives match times designed for American viewers and local customer support.

Old guides may still mention Hotstar US. That advice belongs to an earlier rights and product era. The current North American service is Willow by Cricbuzz.

Replays, highlights and watching after work

Willow’s IPL pages include match videos, highlights and full-match replays. Availability can vary by rights window, so confirm the match page before depending on a replay for a specific game.

To avoid spoilers:

• Open the video library rather than the live scores page.
• Turn off sports-news notifications before the match begins.
• Avoid social media and team apps until you finish.
• Bookmark the replay page in advance when Willow makes it available.

Downloads and offline recordings are not permitted through the direct service. You can stream replays but should not assume an offline-download button exists.

Fix common Willow streaming problems

If a paid match will not play, work through these checks in order:

1. Confirm the event appears in Willow’s live schedule for the United States.
2. Turn off a VPN, proxy, DNS filter or strict ad blocker.
3. Update the Willow by Cricbuzz app; the legacy Willow app is no longer supported.
4. Log out and return using the same email or television-provider account.
5. Restore the purchase if it was bought through Apple or Google.
6. Try a home network or mobile data if workplace Wi-Fi blocks the stream.
7. Contact Willow support with the device model, app version and screenshot.

Location and ad-blocking tools cause many playback errors. Disabling them briefly is a better first test than repurchasing the subscription.

Is the monthly or annual Willow plan better?

Choose monthly if you want only one IPL season and will remember to cancel. Two months at the checked direct price cost $19.98 before tax, far below the annual $79.99.

Choose annual if you regularly watch international cricket, ICC events, the WPL, MLC, The Hundred, BBL, PSL, CPL or other series in Willow’s portfolio. The break-even point is roughly eight monthly payments.

Existing live-TV subscribers should first search their channel lineup. The cheapest subscription is the one you already have, provided it includes the live channel and the replays you need.

What to check before IPL 2027

The 2027 fixture list, free-match promotions and final U.S. package details were not yet complete at this article’s August 2026 review. Before opening day:

• Confirm Willow still holds the U.S. rights.
• Recheck direct monthly and annual prices.
• Verify whether your provider carries both Willow channels.
• Look for an official free-game announcement.
• Save the live schedule in your local time zone.
• Test the app on your television before the first match.

The tournament context is in our IPL winners list, including Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 2026 title. New viewers can use the cricket abbreviations guide for scorecard shorthand and the Super Over explainer for tied matches.

For U.S. viewers, the short answer remains: use Willow by Cricbuzz directly or through a provider that carries Willow, and verify the current package before paying.