How to watch cricket online or on TV — live stream international and domestic matches
Australia vs India Test series headlines December's live action
For cricket fans, there's never been a better time in terms of the sheer amount of the sport that can be watched all year around. Even if you take the calendar-worth of international series and tournaments out of the occasion, there's rarely a time when there isn't some kind of franchise league or domestic competition to enjoy. And in this guide, we're explaining how to watch cricket online wherever you are.
The eyes of the cricket world have turned to the southern hemisphere, with one of international cricket's biggest rivalries dominating the column inches — Australia and India are doing battle for the Border–Gavaskar Trophy over the course of a five-match Test series that takes us through to the new year.
There's red ball cricket in Bangladesh (against South Africa), the Caribbean (against Bangladesh), New Zealand (against England) and South Africa (against Sri Lanka and Pakistan), too, as the nations jostle for positions on the World Test Championship ladder.
There's plenty of white ball and women's cricket being played over the course of the month, with the three ODIs taking place between the women's teams of New Zealand and Australia Women looking particularly delectable. Domestically, the Sheffield Shield and Ranchi Trophy continue in Australia and India respectively. And the franchise stars head Down Under for the Big Bash League.
The merry-go-round of world cricket annually begins with Australia's Big Bash League in January and quickly moves on to the Indian Premier League (IPL) that runs from March through May. Then there's the English summer — including the T20 Blast and Hundred — running concurrently with Major League Cricket (MLC) in the US. Before revolving around to Australia-based action, where it all starts again...
And keeping up with the official global broadcasters is almost as complicated as staying on top of the fixture lists themselves. So keep reading to better understand where you can watch cricket live streams the world over — including free options and how to catch games when you're overseas.
How to watch cricket in the US
The most comprehensive live cricket coverage in the US comes from specialist streamer Willow TV. It's available as part of some cable TV plans or you can watch directly through the streamer.
Alternatively, you can get Willow streams through the OTT service Sling TV. It's a live TV streaming service that lets you watch cable channels over the internet.
Sling hosts Willow — without the need to buy a pricier, more extensive package — on its Desi Binge Plus or Dakshin Flex plans, which cost only $10 for your first month or from $99 for a whole year of live cricket. And you can cancel at any time you wish.
The Disney-owned ESPN Plus also carries a limited number of games and tournaments. So if the game you're looking for isn't on Willow, it will likely be on ESPN+. It costs from $11.99 per month or from $16.99 if you get it through the Disney Plus bundle.
How to watch cricket in the UK
Free: There is still a little free-to-air cricket to watch in the UK. The Hundred, for example, has 15 games shown live on the BBC. Although the Beeb has decided not to carry on its scant coverage of the international game, and no other free-to-air provider has stepped into its shoes.
Paid: Sky Sports is the predominant broadcaster of cricket in the UK and has been the official England team broadcaster for over 20 years now.
Sky shows the vast majority of international and domestic tournaments: both men and women's; international and domestic; red and white ball. Sky TV base packages generally start from around £20-£25 per month, with Sky Sports costing an additonal £20-£25 on top. Alternatively, a Now Sports Membership lets you watch Sky Sports channels with less commitment for £14.99 a day or £26 a month.
TNT Sports is the second biggest cricket broadcaster in the UK and is the rights holder to show various England and non-England international matches. If you don't have it as part of your TV package, it costs £30.99 per month as part of a Discovery Plus Premium plan.
How to watch cricket in Australia
Free: Aussie cricket fans are luckier than those across the globe in the UK, as there is plenty of free cricket to enjoy — including Test cricket featuring Australia.
Network Seven will broadcast all men’s Tests and women’s international matches, 23 Women's Big Bash League matches and 33 of the 43 Big Bash League matches (including three finals). That means you can also watch on its free 7plus online platform.
Domestically, both the Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup are streamed on the Cricket Australia website for free.
Paid: Fox is the main player when it comes to the majority of live cricket action shown in Australia. It's the co-broadcaster of all the action mentioned in the 'Free' section above, while also taking the exclusive reins on Indian Premier League and other live action from franchise leagues and international cricket around the world.
Anything that Foxtel shows can also be watched online via Foxtel and the specialist sports streaming platform Kayo Sports, with monthly rolling plans starting from $25.
Streaming giant Amazon has also faced up in Australia this year, wining the exclusive rights to stream both the men's and women's T20 World Cups.
How to watch cricket in India
Free: The jewel in Indian cricket's crown, the IPL (or Indian Premier League), is free to watch to the country's 1.4 billion residents. Every match of the tournament is streamed live via JioCinema — either online or via its app for smartphones and tablets.
The same goes for India's home internationals, domestic cricket, and a selection of global franchise leagues such as the SA20, MLC.
Paid: Outside of the formats mentioned above, it's a very mixed scene in India as to where you can watch live cricket. Disney Star / Hotstar is the biggest player in the game, but the Sony Sports Network, FanCode and Amazon Prime Video all have the exclusive rights to show other games.
How to watch cricket streams from anywhere with a VPN
If you're going to be away from your normal TV setup but still want to watch live cricket, you might run into some problems as your normal stream will almost certainly be geo-blocked. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to cricket, your favorite sports and other content even if you're not there. Our favorite is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at NordVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
NordVPN is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to watch what you want, from wherever you want to watch it.
It's straightforward and easy to use, has great security, is available on loads of streaming devices and, best of all, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out 100% risk-free. Give it a go.
Cricket streams in December 2024 and where to watch
Australia vs India: 5-match Test series
Friday, November 22 — Monday, January 7
Watch on Willow via Sling TV
West Indies vs Bangladesh: 2-match Test series
Friday, November 22 — Wednesday, December 4
South Africa vs England Women: 3-match T20i, 3-match ODI series & 1 Test
Sunday, November 24 — Wednesday, December 18
Watch on Willow via Sling TV
Zimbabwe vs Pakistan: 3-match T20i and 3-match ODI series
Sunday, November 24 — Thursday, December 5
New Zealand vs England: 3-match Test series
Wednesday, November 27 — Tuesday, December 18
South Africa vs Sri Lanka: 2-match Test series
Wednesday, November 27 — Monday, December 9
Watch on Willow via Sling TV
Australia vs India Women: 3-match ODI series
Thursday, December 5 — Wednesday, December 11
Watch on Willow via Sling TV
West Indies vs Bangladesh: 3-match ODI and 3-match T20i series
Sunday, December 8 — Friday, December 20
South Africa vs Pakistan: 3-match T20i and 3-match ODI series
Tuesday, December 10 — Sunday, December 22
Watch on Willow via Sling TV
India vs West Indies Women: 3-match T20i and 3-match ODI series
Sunday, December 15 — Friday, December 27
Watch on Willow via Sling TV
New Zealand vs Australia Women: 3-match ODI series
Thursday, December 19 — Monday, December 23
South Africa vs Pakistan: 2-match Test series
Thursday, December 26 — Tuesday, January 7
Watch on Willow via Sling TV
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka: 3-match T20i and 3-match ODI series
Saturday, December 28 — Saturday, January 11
Sheffield Shield
Monday, October 7 — Saturday, March 29 2025
Ranchi Trophy
Friday, October 11 — February 26
Abu Dhabi T10
Thursday, November 21 — Monday, December 2
Watch on Willow via Sling TV
Big Bash League
Sunday, December 15 — Monday, January 27 2025
Watch on Willow via Sling TV
Super Smash
Thursday, December 26 — Sunday, February 2 2025
Bangladesh Premier League
Monday, December 30 — Friday, February 7 2025
Cricket streams in January 2025 and where to watch
Australia vs India: 5-match Test series
Friday, November 22 — Monday, January 7
South Africa vs Pakistan: 2-match Test series
Thursday, December 26 — Tuesday, January 7
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka: 3-match T20i and 3-match ODI series
Saturday, December 28 — Saturday, January 11
Australia vs England Women Ashes
Sunday, January 12 — Sunday, February 2
Pakistan vs West Indies: 2-match Test series
Thursday, January 16 — Tuesday, January 28
India vs England: 5-match T20i and 3-match ODI series
Wednesday, January 22 — Wednesday, February 12
Sri Lanka vs Australia: 2-match Test series
Wednesday, January 29 — Monday, February 10
Sheffield Shield
Monday, October 7 — Saturday, March 29
Ranchi Trophy
Friday, October 11 — February 26
Big Bash League
Sunday, December 15 — Monday, January 27
Super Smash
Thursday, December 26 — Sunday, February 2
Bangladesh Premier League
Monday, December 30 — Friday, February 7
SA20
Thursday, January 9 — Saturday, February 8
IL20
Saturday, January 11 — Sunday, February 9
Cricket streams in February 2025 and where to watch
Australia vs England Women Ashes
Sunday, January 12 — Sunday, February 2
India vs England: 5-match T20i and 3-match ODI series
Wednesday, January 22 — Wednesday, February 12
Sri Lanka vs Australia: 2-match Test series
Wednesday, January 29 — Monday, February 10
Pakistan Tri-Nations series (with New Zealand and South Africa)
Saturday, February 8 — Friday, February 14
Sheffield Shield
Monday, October 7 — Saturday, March 29
Ranchi Trophy
Friday, October 11 — February 26
Super Smash
Thursday, December 26 — Sunday, February 2
Bangladesh Premier League
Monday, December 30 — Friday, February 7
SA20
Thursday, January 9 — Saturday, February 8
IL20
Saturday, January 11 — Sunday, February 9
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Adam is a freelance writer with a decade of journalism experience. He's written about sports for The Cricketer and Golf Monthly; on TV shows for TechRadar, WhatToWatch and Cinema Blend; on consumer affairs Which?; technology for T3 and Tom's Guide; and on lifestyle for Real Homes and Creative Bloq. He keeps wicket for his local cricket team, is a keen cook, loves to sing and keeps chickens too.
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