Willow (TV channel)

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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]

Match rights

Willow holds the rights to the matches for the following teams and leagues;

National teams

League and other competitions

Former rights

References

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External links

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