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{{short description|American cricket sports television channel}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = Willow
| logo = Willow Cricket.PNG
| logo_alt =
| logo_size = 200px
| launch_date = August 27, 2010
| picture_format = [[1080i]] [[High-definition television|HDTV]]<br />{{small|(downscaled to [[Letterboxing (filming)|letterboxed]] [[480i]] for the [[Standard-definition television|SDTV]] feed)}}
| owner = [[Times Internet]]
| country = United States and Canada
| headquarters = BCCL Worldwide Inc. Redwood City, CA
| website = {{url|willow.tv}}
}}

'''WILLOW''' ('''Willow Cricket, Willow Extra and Willow Canada''') is an American [[pay television]] [[sports channel]] which is completely devoted to airing overseas [[cricket]] events, including live and recorded matches and other cricket-related programming in [[English language|English]], with the majority of its advertising targeted towards the [[Indian subcontinent]] diaspora in North America. The network is carried both as a traditional subscription-television channel which airs on pay-TV providers, and a paid [[over-the-top media services|streaming service]] available online.

The network was launched in the U.S. on August 27, 2010 and in Canada on May 14th, 2019. Broadcasts cricket matches and several cricket-based programs and coverage from around the world. The channel merged with [[NEO Prime|NEO Cricket]]'s American network in February 2013 as that provider drew down their American operations with the Willow name remaining.<ref name="indiantelevision1">{{cite web|url=http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k13/feb/feb170.php|title=Neo sells broadcasting biz in US to Willow TV|date=13 February 2013|publisher=IndianTelevision.com|access-date=6 July 2014}}</ref> [[Times Internet]], part of [[The Times Group]], bought the service in 2016.

Willow has operated an Internet portal for live streaming of cricket events at www.willow.tv since 2003 for a monthly subscription fee. Willow has driven various innovations in the coverage of cricket, like video-based live scorecards and editorials. The website provides subscribers with video streams available on mobile apps and a streaming feed. A dedicated app for Willow was added for [[Apple TV]] on June 24, 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://9to5mac.com/2014/06/24/apple-tv-adds-abc-news-aol-on-pbs-kids-willow-tv-and-redesigned-flickr-app/|title=Apple TV adds ABC News, AOL On, PBS Kids, Willow TV, and redesigned Flickr app|last=Kahn|first=Jordan|date=24 June 2014|publisher=9to5Mac|access-date=25 June 2014}}</ref> [[TV Everywhere]] access to the network's live feed on most devices was added for subscribers to pay-TV services, in time for [[2018 Indian Premier League|IPL 11]].

Willow has been the subject of complaints about its billing practices, including making it impossible to unsubscribe through the website or app, and ignoring repeated emails requesting cancellations.<ref name="Better Business Bureau">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/mountain-view/profile/live-streaming/willow-tv-international-inc-1216-267056/complaints|publisher=Better Business Bureau|access-date=1 January 2021|title=Willow TV International, Inc. | Complaints | Better Business Bureau® Profile }}</ref> They have since made it possible to unsubscribe through their website.

==Match rights==
Willow holds the rights to some of the matches of the following teams and leagues:

===National teams===
*[[Cricket Australia]] USA Only
*[[Bangladesh Cricket Board]] USA / Canada
*[[Pakistan Cricket Board]] USA / Canada
*[[Cricket South Africa]] USA / Canada
*[[Cricket West Indies]] USA Only
*[[Sri Lanka Cricket]] USA Only
*[[Zimbabwe Cricket]] USA / Canada
*[[England and Wales Cricket Board]] USA Only

===ICC Events===
*All [[International Cricket Council|ICC]] events from Nov 2015 to 2023 (Included in the new eight-year period are 18 ICC tournaments, including two [[ICC Cricket World Cup]]s (2019 and 2023), one [[ICC Champions Trophy]] tournaments (2017) and three [[ICC World Twenty20]] tournaments (2016 , 2021 and 2022) and one [[ICC World Test Championship]] tournaments (2021).

====ICC Events 2015-2023====

;ICC major global events: USA / Canada
*[[2016 ICC World Twenty20]] - India
*[[2017 ICC Champions Trophy]] - England and Wales
*[[2019 Cricket World Cup|2019 ICC Cricket World Cup]] - England and Wales
*[[2021 ICC T20 World Cup]] - UAE
*[[2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup|2022 ICC T20 World Cup]] - Australia
*[[2023 Cricket World Cup|2023 ICC Cricket World Cup]] - India

;ICC qualifying events: USA / Canada
*[[2015 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier]] - Ireland and Scotland
*[[2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier|2018 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier]] - Zimbabwe
*[[2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier]] – United Arab Emirates
*[[2022 Cricket World Cup Qualifier|2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier]] - Zimbabwe

;Other ICC events: USA /Canada
*[[2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup|2016 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup]] - Bangladesh
*[[2017 Women's Cricket World Cup|2017 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup]] - England and Wales
*[[2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup|2018 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup]] - New Zealand
*[[2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20]] - West Indies
*[[2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup|2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup]] - South Africa
*[[2021 Women's Cricket World Cup|2021 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup]] - New Zealand
*[[2022 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup]] - West Indies
*[[2022 ICC Women's T20 World Cup]] - South Africa

===League and other competitions===
*[[Pakistan Super League]] USA / Canada
*[[Big Bash League|KFC T20 Big Bash League]] (Australia) USA Only
*[[Indian Premier League]] (television/cable [[TV Everywhere]] rights only; [[ESPN+]] holds all other streaming rights) USA / Canada
*[[Caribbean Premier League]] USA Only
*[[Lanka Premier League]] USA and Canada
*[[Minor League Cricket]] USA <ref>https://www.majorleaguecricket.com/minorleaguecricket"Minor League Cricket forms a crucial pathway for all players to be selected in Major League Cricket starting in 2021. We know US cricket fans are hungry for high-quality cricket - regular season games will be live streamed, with the playoffs to be broadcast live into over 4 million homes courtesy of Willow TV."</ref>

===Former rights===
*[[India national cricket team]] (home match rights now owned by [[The Walt Disney Company]] and shown on its streaming services including [[ESPN+]] and [[Hotstar]])
*[[New Zealand national cricket team]] (home match rights until 2013; home match rights now held by [[ESPN+]])

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.willow.tv/EventMgmt/Default.asp Official website]

{{Sports television in the United States}}

[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 2010]]
[[Category:2010 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:English-language television stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Sports television networks in the United States]]
[[Category:Cricket in the United States]]
[[Category:Cricket on television]]

Willow (TV channel) - Revision history

Bot at 17:17, 4 April 2023