The 10th edition of the VIVO Indian Premier League gets underway today when defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad take on Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. 56 league matches are scheduled for the eight participant teams and the top four qualify for the playoffs which consists of three matches before the grand finale, once again in Hyderabad on May 21.
Indian viewers are blessed with live coverage on Sony Six and Sony Max apart from the live streaming in the Hotstar app but the same can't be said for viewers across the globe.
The IPL has attracted a huge fan base all around the globe despite the limited number of countries playing cricket in the World. The big gala event is once again set to go on the floor and viewers from different parts of the World will attempt to tune in on the Television or some live streaming sites to catches the live action.
Cricket in US and Canada
Cricket isn't quite popular in the United States of America and Canada but the fan base has definitely grown with the All-Stars matches and the India-West Indies T20 series earlier this year. The crowds flocked in to watch these matches and viewership was also on the high side. This definitely means the IPL will be attracting a large group from these countries that do not have the luxury of watching these games on the Television or on Hotstar.
Last month, an Indian-American fan announced his plans to build as many as eight cricket stadiums in the USA. An estimated amount of $2.4 billion is said to be spent on the construction. The stadiums are expected to accommodate more than 20,000 people. The venues are New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Illinois and California.
Pandya, the man behind this plan, hails from Gujarat and is a cricket fanatic. He is expecting to milk the enthusiasm of US citizens to sports by building these stadiums. Cricket as a sport is also growing in the United States and this move would only further fuel the interest.
"This will be a strong foundation when the International Cricket Council (ICC) hosts any tournaments in line with its strategic framework for USA cricket, potentially hosting the ICC WorldTwenty20 in 2024," Pandya had said as revealed by TOI.
Streaming in US and Canada
The streaming in Hotstar is restricted to Indian users, unfortunately. But that does not mean there is no way cricket fans can watch the IPL live in US and Canada. Fans can enjoy HD streaming of matches by subscribing to ESPN Cricket Pass that costs 30 USD. People in Canada can watch via Sportsnet channel even if Sony isn't available. Alternatively, US and its territories can also watchthe live games via Willow TV. Cricketgateway.com also brings matches to Canada.
Streaming in other countries
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other Commonwealth countries can watch matches via Sony, the official broadcasters of the IPL.
UK, Ireland and European territories get to watch the IPL via Skysports.
South African people can tune into Supersport while Arab countries get to watch via OSN Rights. Cricketgateway.com, that brings matches to Canada, is also available to Australia, South-East Asia and South America.
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