Tests, ODIs, T20, 100-ball; franchise, first class or otherwise: there's a lot of cricket to watch on TV. Whether you're a red-ball purist or a white-ball nut, you need to know where the match is on and which streaming services you're going to need to watch the cricket live streams you're after, wherever you are in the world.
Each country has its own collection of cricket TV channels and streamers to make sure you're covered for everything from The Ashes to the IPL, and the good news is that you can watch anywhere with a VPN, if you happen to be trying to tune in from abroad.
Most viewers, regardless of deeply held affiliations, would agree that rare events like The Ashes, India vs Pakistan Tests and the Cricket World Cup represent the pinnacle of the sport, but the expansion of franchise cricket has dramatically transformed the landscape, giving rise to the superb Indian Premier League, and creating a jam-packed calendar and genuine competition for eyeballs at any one time.
In addition to threatening first-class cricket's place in the pecking order, a consequence of this rapid growth has been the splintering of broadcast rights around the world.
So, read on and we'll give you the broad strokes of how to watch cricket live streams from around the world, starting with one of the best cricket streaming services deals in the world. Here we go...
How to watch cricket live streams from anywhere
A VPN, or virtual private network, makes it look as if you're surfing the web from your home country, rather than the one you're in. That means you can access the streaming services you already pay for, from anywhere on Earth. Or anywhere that has an internet connection, at least.
VPNs are totally legal, inexpensive and easy to use. We've tested lots of the best VPN services and our favorite is ExpressVPN. It's fast, works on loads of devices, and even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view a U.S. service, such as Sling, you'd select 'USA' from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action and watch the cricket live stream.
How to watch cricket live streams by country
How to watch cricket live streams in the U.S.
In the U.S., the broadcast rights for cricket's biggest competitions and games are split between Willow TV and ESPN Plus.
Willow shows Australia, Bangladesh, England, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka games, the IPL, Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, Major League Cricket, Bangladesh Premier League, Caribbean Premier League, Cricket World Cup, Men's T20 World Cup, and U19 Cricket World Cup.
You can get Willow TV for just $10 per month via the Desi TV plackage on Sling TV.
ESPN Plus shows India, Ireland, New Zealand and West Indies games, the Super Smash, Regional Super50, Men's T20 World Cup, and U19 Cricket World Cup.
ESPN Plus costs $10.99 per month for the basic package, but you can save over 15% by signing up for the $109.99 annual plan. That brings access to boxing, the NFL, MLB, NHL, PGA Tour golf, soccer, major tennis and even the UFC if you're happy to add the occasional PPV fee.
Hotstar shows India games and the IPL too, while CBS Sports Network also shares the rights to Major League Cricket.
If you already use a streaming service but aren't in the U.S. right now, you can watch cricket live streams by using a VPN such as ExpressVPN. And if, for whatever reason, you can't get it working, do remember that you have the comfort of a 30-day money-back guarantee with ExpressVPN.
How to watch cricket live streams in the U.K.
In the U.K, cricket broadcasting rights are extremely fragmented, but the vast majority of games and competitions are held by Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
However, occasional games air on BBC channels and BBC iPlayer, both of which are free to use. The BBC has the rights to two England men's and women's T20I games per season, The Hundred (10 men's and eight women's games), plus highlights of England men's and women's games.
Select County Championship games are live streamed for free on the respective teams' YouTube channels, and ODIs and T20Is in Ireland are live streamed for free on the Cricket Ireland Live YouTube channel.
Sky Sports shows the England men (home Tests, ODIs and T20Is), England women, Tests, ODIs and T20Is in Pakistan and South Africa, the County Championship, T20 Blast, One-Day Cup (final), IPL (74 games), Women's Premier League, Big Bash League, Women's Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, The Hundred, SA20, Abu Dhabi T10, Cricket World Cup, Women's World Cup, Men's T20 World Cup, Women's T20 World Cup, and U19 World Cup.
TNT Sports shows Tests, ODIs and T20Is in Australia, New Zealand and West Indies, the Super Smash, Women’s Super Smash, Caribbean Premier League, Legends League T20, Major League Cricket, and Asia Cup.
If you want to sign up, you can check out the best Sky TV deals and packages. Don't fancy being locked into a long, expensive contract? Consider the more flexible streaming option, Now.
You can get TNT by subscribing to the Discovery Plus Premium plan for £29.99 per month, or you can add TNT Sports through Sky, BT, EE or Virgin Media.
DAZN shows the IPL (74 games) too, while Viaplay holds the rights to Tests, ODIs and T20Is in Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, the Bangladesh Premier League, Abu Dhabi T10, and European Cricket League T10.
If you're outside the UK and want to tune in, it's simple to do with a handy tool – simply grab a VPN and follow the instructions above to live stream the action.
How to watch cricket live streams in Australia
Cricket fans based in Australia are amongst the luckiest in the world, because a healthy amount of games and tournaments are still free-to-air, courtesy of the Seven Network channels and 7Plus, and the Nine Network channels and 9Now.
The Seven Network shows Tests in Australia, The Ashes, the Big Bash League (43 games), Women's Big Bash League (24 games), and Allan Border Medal.
The Nine Network shows the Men's Cricket World Cup.
The majority of coverage, however, is locked behind a paywall.
Kayo Sports shows all Australian men's and women's games, The Ashes, Men's Cricket World Cup, Sheffield Shield, Marsh One-Day Cup, Big Bash League (59 games), Women's Big Bash League (35 games), Governor-General's XI, Super Smash, IPL, SA20, T20 Blast, Caribbean Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Major League Cricket, International League T20, and Allan Border Medal. Kayo offers access to over 50 sports live and on-demand. Prices start at $25.
Fox Cricket shows all Australian men's and women's games, The Ashes, Men's Cricket World Cup, Marsh One-Day Cup, Big Bash League (59 games), Women's Big Bash League (59 games), Governor-General's XI, Super Smash, IPL, SA20, T20 Blast, Caribbean Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Major League Cricket, International League T20, and Allan Border Medal.
The Sheffield Shield and Marsh One-Day Cup are also live streamed for free on the Cricket Australia website.
If you aren't in the country when the game you want to watch is on, just sign up for a VPN such as ExpressVPN to watch the action as if you were back home.
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