Indian TV in the USA: Hindi, Regional Channels and Cricket

Who watches Indian TV in America

Indian Americans are one of the largest immigrant communities in the country. Pew Research Center reports that about 5.2 million people in the US identified as Indian in 2023, about one in five Asian Americans. The biggest communities are around New York, Dallas and the San Francisco Bay Area, with large groups in New Jersey, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta and Seattle too.

That community is not one audience. A family in Edison may want Star Plus serials for the grandparents, Aaj Tak for the news and IPL for everyone. A Telugu family in Dallas may care mostly about Star Maa and TV9 Telugu. A student in Boston may only want cricket. The right setup depends on which languages and channels your home actually uses.

Your main options in the US

There are three broad ways to get Indian channels in the US. The first is official streaming services. Sling TV sells Desi packs by language, including Hindi, South Indian, Urdu, Punjabi, Marathi and Bangla. YuppTV is a long-running service focused on Indian live TV. Willow is the official US broadcaster for most international cricket, including the IPL.

The second is cable or satellite international add-ons, which usually need a base English package first and can get expensive once you add several languages.

The third is an IPTV subscription such as TarakTV. Instead of buying one pack per language, you get one plan with a wide range of Indian channels across Hindi and regional languages, plus news and sports, inside one app. Channel line-ups on any IPTV service can change, so use the free 24-hour trial to confirm the channels that matter to you.

• Only want cricket: Willow on its own may be enough.
• Only want one language pack: compare a Sling Desi pack or YuppTV.
• Want Hindi plus regional channels, news and sports for the whole family: an all-in-one IPTV plan is often simpler.

Hindi and regional-language channels

Hindi general entertainment is what most households look for first: Star Plus, Sony Entertainment Television, Zee TV, Colors, Sony SAB and Star Bharat for serials, and Zee Cinema, Sony Max and Star Gold for movies. Hindi news viewers usually want Aaj Tak, ABP News, Zee News, India TV and NDTV India. Our Hindi guide covers these in more detail.

South Indian families look for Sun TV and Star Vijay in Tamil, Star Maa, Zee Telugu and ETV in Telugu, Asianet and Mazhavil Manorama in Malayalam, and Colors Kannada and Zee Kannada in Kannada. Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi and Bengali viewers have their own favourites, such as PTC Punjabi, Colors Gujarati, Star Pravah and Star Jalsha. Each has its own guide linked below.

Cricket from the US

Cricket is often the reason a household starts looking. In the US, Willow holds the rights to most major cricket, including the IPL and ICC events such as the T20 World Cup. The 2026 IPL ran from March 28 to May 31, with evening games starting at 10am Eastern and afternoon games at 6am Eastern, according to Wisden.

Willow is available on its own website and through Prime Video Channels, YouTube TV, Sling's Desi packs and other platforms. Many TarakTV customers watch cricket on the Indian, Pakistani and international sports channels commonly included in the plan. See our cricket guide for time zones and tournament details.

Devices and internet speed

TarakTV works on the devices most homes already have. Amazon Fire TV Stick is the most common choice. Android-based smart TVs, Android TV boxes, phones and tablets also work. We sell the Cast4K player app, and TVIP and Yoka TV boxes that arrive ready to plug in, which is the easiest option for parents or grandparents who do not want to install apps. We ship boxes within the US and Canada.

For a stable picture, plan on about 15 Mbps for HD and about 25 Mbps for 4K per screen. If you stream on more than one TV at once, add those numbers together. A wired Ethernet connection to the TV or box is the best fix for buffering during big matches.

Time-zone tips for Indian shows

India Standard Time is 10 hours 30 minutes ahead of US Eastern time from November to March, and 9 hours 30 minutes ahead from March to November when the US is on daylight time. On the West Coast, add three more hours. A serial that airs at 8pm in India airs live at 9:30am Eastern in winter, or 6:30am Pacific.

Most families do not watch live. They use the TV guide (EPG) to find the latest episode, and catch-up where a channel offers it, so the evening serial can be watched at a normal evening hour in the US. Catch-up availability varies by channel.

Getting started with TarakTV

Message us on WhatsApp to start a free 24-hour trial. We send login details and help you set up the app on your device. Check the channels your family watches, test at your busiest viewing time and see how it runs on your internet.

If it works for you, plans are $15 for one month, $130 for one year, $220 for three years and $300 for five years. Support stays on WhatsApp, so if a channel is down or the app needs resetting, you can message us directly.

Channels people look for

Line-ups change; ask for the current list or check during your free trial.

Frequently asked questions