The 2026 ICC Champions Trophy is Pakistan’s marquee cricketing event of the year — the return of an ICC global tournament to Pakistani soil and the second Champions Trophy under PCB hosting. Every match runs on PTV Sports free-to-air, with A Sports providing HD and Tapmad TV streaming digitally. This page maps the broadcaster routes, the venue split and the pan-region availability.
Where to watch the Champions Trophy 2026 legally in Pakistan
| Platform | What you get | 2026 cost (PKR) |
|---|---|---|
| PTV Sports | Every match, free-to-air, terrestrial + satellite | Free |
| A Sports | Every match, HD, reduced ad-load | Bundled in cable sports pack (~PKR 800–1,500 / month) |
| Tapmad TV | Every match, digital, mobile + Smart-TV + Web | PKR 250–500 / month |
PTV’s FTA carry is the structural anchor — for Pakistani viewers, no subscription is required for any match. A Sports and Tapmad are upgrades for picture quality and mobile flexibility.
Pan-region availability
| Region | Legal carrier |
|---|---|
| Pakistan | PTV Sports + A Sports + Tapmad TV |
| India | Star Sports + JioHotstar + DD Sports (India matches FTA) |
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports Cricket |
| United States | Willow TV by Cricbuzz |
| Australia | Fox Cricket / Kayo Sports |
| Bangladesh / Sri Lanka | Local rights TBC |
Series schedule
The full Champions Trophy 2026 fixture list embeds below.
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 | Venues |
|---|---|---|
| Group stage | Mid Feb 2026 | Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi (India matches at neutral venue) |
| Semi-finals | Late Feb 2026 | Lahore + Karachi (TBC) |
| Final | Late Feb / early Mar 2026 | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (TBC) |
The eight participants — Pakistan, India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh and Afghanistan — split into two groups of four. India’s matches use the hybrid neutral-venue model first established in 2025.
How to watch the Champions Trophy 2026 legally
- For free coverage in Pakistan, PTV Sports — terrestrial, satellite, cable basic. Every match.
- For HD upgrade, A Sports through your cable operator’s sports pack.
- For mobile / digital, Tapmad TV at PKR 250–500 per month.
- For diaspora viewers, route to the local rights-holder — Sky Sports (UK), Willow TV (US), Fox Cricket (Australia).
PEMRA, hybrid venues and the India question
The India–Pakistan venue split for ICC events in Pakistan dates from the 2025 Champions Trophy, when BCCI declined to send India to Pakistani soil and ICC accepted a neutral-venue arrangement for India’s matches. The 2026 edition follows the same model: India’s matches at a neutral venue (UAE most likely), the rest of the tournament in Pakistan.
Crucially for Pakistani viewers: India’s matches are still on PTV Sports free-to-air in Pakistan. ICC events route through PTV regardless of venue, because ICC licenses the global broadcast rights to PCB’s Pakistani partners independently of where each match is played. This is the legal distinction from the IPL — ICC events are licensable into Pakistan; bilateral India cricket is not.
CricHD Guide homepage (Pakistan) · ICC T20 World Cup 2026 guide · PTV Sports cricket guide · Pakistan tour fixtures 2026