Willow (TV channel)
WILLOW | |
---|---|
200px | |
Launched | July 23, 2010 |
Owned by | Private |
Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) (HD feed downgraded to letterboxed 480i for SDTVs) |
Slogan | The home for cricket in North America |
Country | United States |
Headquarters | Palo Alto, California |
Sister channel(s) | NEO Cricket (former competitor; current second feed of Willow's schedule on some providers due to contractual issues)[1] |
Website | willow.tv |
Availability
|
|
Satellite | |
DirecTV | Channel 2024 |
Dish Network | Channel 712 |
IPTV | |
Verizon FiOS | Channel 806 (HD) |
Apple TV | "Willow TV" channel (subscription required) |
Streaming media | |
YouTube | Willow TV |
WILLOW (formerly Cricket Plus and Willow Cricket) is an American sports channel which is completely devoted to airing overseas cricket events, including live and recorded matches and other cricket-related programming in English, with the majority of its advertising targeted towards the North American South Asian and Indian diasporas. The network is carried both as a traditional cable channel which airs on cable and satellite systems, and a paid streaming service using YouTube and Apple TV. Likewise, some of Willow's cricket rights are sub-licensed to ESPN to provide maximum audience exposure, and ESPN offers those matches online via TV Everywhere through the ESPN3 service of WatchESPN with a few occasional airings per year on ESPN2.
The network was launched in 2010 as an offering for viewers of the South Asian ethnic language package on DirecTV, and in Canada on ATN Cricket Plus, owned by Asian Television Network. The channel broadcasts cricket matches, including the Cricket World Cup, and several cricket-based programs and coverage from international networks such as TEN Sports and SuperSport. Cricket Plus was renamed Willow in 2010. The channel merged with NEO Cricket's American network in February 2013 as that provider drew down their American operations with the Willow name remaining.[2]
Willow's cable channel is available via satellite providers DISH Network and DirecTV, which is available both a la carte and bundled in various South Asian language packs on DISH and the HindiDirect package on DirecTV. It is also available on cable systems like Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Charter and Cox, varying between extended sports packages or offered with other South Asian networks.[3]
Willow has operated an Internet portal for live streaming of cricket events at willow.tv since 2010 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 laptops, smartphones and tablets, plus web-connected devices like Roku, Boxee, GoogleTV, Samsung's Internet@TV and Playstation 3. A dedicated app for Willow was added for Apple TV on June 24, 2014.[4]
Contents
Match rights
Willow holds the rights to the matches for the following teams and leagues;
National teams
- Cricket Australia
- Bangladesh Cricket Board
- Board of Control for Cricket in India
- New Zealand Cricket
- Pakistan Cricket Board
- Cricket South Africa
- West Indies cricket team
- Sri Lanka cricket team
- Zimbabwe Cricket
League and other competitions
- Hong Kong Cricket Sixes
- KFC T20 Big Bash League (Australia)
Former rights
- England and Wales Cricket Board (home match rights until 2013; home match rights now held by WatchESPN and ONE World Sports)
- Indian Premier League (produced by IMG; moved in 2015 to ESPN/WatchESPN)
References
External links
<templatestyles src="Asbox/styles.css"></templatestyles>