The IPL is the commercial heart of Indian cricket and, since the 2024 Disney–Reliance joint venture, the most consolidated rights deal in the global game. Where Indian viewers once paid separately for Star Sports linear and Disney+ Hotstar streaming, a single JioHotstar subscription now carries both. This page maps the broadcaster, subscription tiers in INR, language tracks and FTA position so you can pick the right route to IPL 2026.
Where to watch IPL 2026 legally in India
Star Sports holds the linear television rights and JioHotstar carries the digital stream. Both are part of the Disney–Reliance JV that completed in 2024, so the IPL is now distributed through one commercial platform in India. Star Sports broadcasts in seven language tracks — Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Bengali — across Star Sports 1, 2 and 3. JioHotstar mirrors the linear feed on mobile, web, connected TV and 4K Smart-TV with multi-language audio.
| Platform | What you get | 2026 cost (INR, indicative) |
|---|---|---|
| JioHotstar Mobile (Super) | One mobile-only HD stream | ₹149 / 3 months |
| JioHotstar Premium | Multi-device, 4K, Disney+ catalogue | ₹499–699 / 3 months |
| JioHotstar Annual | 12 months, multi-device, 4K | ₹1,499–1,999 / year |
| Star Sports (DTH) | Linear TV via Tata Play, Airtel, d2h, Dish | Bundled in sports add-on packs (~₹25–40 / month) |
| DD Sports | Not carrying IPL — FTA mandate excludes franchise leagues | Free |
Pan-region availability
The IPL is licensed across most major cricket markets, with a hard exception for Pakistan.
| Region | Legal carrier | Subscription type |
|---|---|---|
| India | Star Sports + JioHotstar | Paid (linear DTH + digital) |
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports Cricket | Paid |
| United States | Willow TV by Cricbuzz | Paid |
| Australia | Fox Cricket / Kayo Sports | Paid |
| Pakistan | Not licensed (PEMRA blackout) | No legal route |
| Bangladesh / Sri Lanka / Nepal | Sony Sports (TBC) | Paid |
IPL 2026 series schedule
The 2026 edition runs across the Indian summer with the playoffs in late May. The full fixture list embeds below; the headline window is locked.
Cricket schedule — legal broadcasters by country
Bilateral India + Pakistan rights split, with UK and Australia for the diaspora. Tour windows shift; confirm kick-off against the rights-holder app on match day.
| Series | Format | Window | Teams | India (legal) | Pakistan (legal) | UK (legal) | Australia (legal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICC Champions Trophy 2026 | ODI | Feb 2026 | 8 nations (TBC host: Pakistan) | Star Sports / JioHotstar | PTV Sports / Tapmad TV | Sky Sports Cricket | Fox Cricket / Kayo Sports |
| IPL 2026 | T20 league | Mar–May 2026 | 10 franchises | Star Sports + JioHotstar | Not licensed (PEMRA blackout) | Sky Sports Cricket | Fox Cricket |
| PSL 2026 | T20 league | Apr–May 2026 | 6 franchises | Sony Sports (subject to confirmation) | PTV Sports / Tapmad TV / A Sports | Sky Sports / Willow TV | TBC |
| England tour of India | Tests + ODIs + T20Is | Jan–Feb 2026 | India vs England | Star Sports + JioHotstar | PTV / Ten Sports | Sky Sports Cricket / TNT Sports | Fox Cricket |
| Australia vs India ODI series | ODI | Oct–Nov 2026 (tentative) | India vs Australia | Sony Sports / JioHotstar | Ten Sports | Sky Sports Cricket | Fox Cricket / Channel 7 |
| ICC T20 World Cup 2026 | T20 World Cup | Feb–Mar 2026 (India + Sri Lanka hosts) | 20 nations | Star Sports + JioHotstar + DD Sports (selected) | PTV / A Sports | Sky Sports Cricket | Fox Cricket / Channel 7 |
| BBL 2025/26 finals | T20 league knockout | Feb 2026 | Top-5 BBL | Sony Sports | Sony Sports (selected) | BT Sport / TNT Sports | Channel 7 + Fox Cricket |
| The Hundred 2026 | 100-ball league | Aug 2026 | 8 franchises | Sony Sports (TBC) | TBC | Sky Sports + BBC (selected) | Fox Cricket (TBC) |
| CPL 2026 | T20 league | Aug–Sep 2026 | 6 franchises | FanCode / Star Sports | Tapmad TV | Sky Sports / FanCode | Kayo Sports |
| ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 | T20 World Cup (Women) | Jun 2026 (England host) | 10 nations | Star Sports / JioHotstar | PTV | Sky Sports + BBC | Fox Cricket |
| Asia Cup 2026 | T20 / ODI (TBC) | Sep 2026 | 6 nations | Star Sports / JioHotstar | PTV / A Sports | Sky Sports | Fox Cricket |
| WTC 2025–27 cycle: India tests | Test | Through Jun 2027 | India + opponents | Star Sports + JioHotstar | Ten Sports | Sky Sports Cricket | Fox Cricket |
| Sri Lanka tour of Australia | ODI + T20I | Feb 2026 | Sri Lanka vs Australia | FanCode | Tapmad TV | Sky Sports (selected) | Fox Cricket / Channel 7 |
| Pakistan vs Bangladesh ODI series | ODI | Apr 2026 | Pakistan vs Bangladesh | Ten Sports | PTV Sports / A Sports | Sky Sports (selected) | TBC |
| Pakistan tour of England | Tests + ODIs + T20Is | Jul–Aug 2026 | Pakistan vs England | Sony Sports | PTV Sports / A Sports | Sky Sports Cricket | Fox Cricket (selected) |
CricHD Guide is editorial only — we do not host, embed or link to unauthorised streams. Match access is via the licensed broadcaster apps listed above.
| Stage | Window | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Group stage | Late Mar – mid-May 2026 | 70 matches, 10 franchises, double round-robin |
| Eliminator + Qualifier 1 | Third week May | Knockouts |
| Qualifier 2 | Last week May | Loser-out |
| Final | Late May 2026 | Single match, venue TBC |
How to watch IPL 2026 legally in India
- Subscribe to JioHotstar at the tier that matches your screens — mobile-only Super if you watch on a phone, Premium if you stream on Smart-TV or want 4K.
- Set the language track before the first ball — Hindi and English are the default; Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Bengali tracks are available on the JioHotstar player and on Star Sports DTH channels.
- For linear viewers, check that your DTH operator (Tata Play, Airtel Digital TV, d2h, Dish TV) carries the Star Sports sports add-on — most basic packs no longer include premium sports by default.
- DD Sports is not an IPL option — the FTA mandate covers India men’s home tours and ICC events, not franchise T20. Plan for a paid route.
- Diaspora viewers route through Sky Sports (UK), Willow TV (US) or Fox Cricket (Australia) — see the region table above.
PEMRA blackout — the IPL in Pakistan
PEMRA, Pakistan’s Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, has maintained a long-standing prohibition on IPL broadcasts in Pakistan. No PTV channel, no A Sports, no Tapmad subscription carries the IPL. Viewers physically inside Pakistan therefore have no licensed route to the league — Pakistani cricket demand routes legally to the PSL (covered in our PSL 2026 guide).
CricHD Guide does not advise on circumventing the blackout. We name it here for completeness: when readers ask “where can I watch IPL in Pakistan?”, the honest answer is nowhere licensed.
CricHD Guide homepage · PSL 2026 — Pakistan PSL guide · The CricHD brand — editorial context