Willow by Cricbuzz announces YouTube partnership
February 3, 2026
Willow by Cricbuzz, the destination for live, streaming, and on-demand cricket in the US and Canada, has announced an array of updates to kick off the 2026 cricket season, starting with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, taking place February 7th – March 8th.
Willow has entered into a partnership with YouTube, allowing fans to watch all four Team USA matches of the ICC T20 World Cup for free on YouTube. This will be the first time ever that ICC World Cup matches will be available for consumers across the US and Canada for free, on the global video platform. The Team USA matches will also be available for free for consumers on Willow and Cricbuzz.
In addition, Willow has partnered with Jomboy Media to introduce a creator-led alternate telecast, available on the Jomboy Media YouTube channel, designed to bring a more in-depth, personality-driven viewing experience to marquee matchups. Beyond the four USA matches, all the ICC T20 World Cup matches will be available on Willow’s linear channel in the YouTube TV ‘NFL RedZone with Sports Plus’ package and via Willow’s Primetime Channels service accessible from the Willow YouTube channel.
Willow by Cricbuzz is also rolling out an all-new product experience across its website, mobile apps and connected TV apps, built to deliver higher-quality video, and make it simpler for fans to access live matches, replays and highlights.
“The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup gives fans a chance to experience cricket at a true breakout moment in the US,” commented Todd Myers, Chief Operating Officer of Willow by Cricbuzz. “More than a decade ago, major ICC World Cup matches in the U.S required $100-plus pay-per-view access. We helped bring the sport into an affordable monthly subscription, and now we are taking the next step by offering free access to some of the most anticipated matches of the year, alongside new creator-led programming and a viewing experience built for how fans engage with the game today.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with Willow by Cricbuzz to bring T20 World Cup USA cricket matches to YouTube for free, enabling our large audience of passionate sports fans the ability to engage with both the main livestream and an alternative creator-led livestream featuring Jomboy Media”, added Marc Hatfield, Partnerships Manager at YouTube. “Existing & new cricket fans will have the opportunity to hear live commentary with unique perspectives that only the YouTube creator community can deliver.”
Creator-Led Alternate Telecast Brings a New Viewing Experience
Willow by Cricbuzz is introducing a creator-led alternate telecast for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, offering fans a new way to experience two of the tournament’s biggest matchups. Produced in partnership with Jomboy Media, the alternate telecast will be available for USA vs India and USA vs Pakistan and will feature a more conversational, personality-driven approach that blends live reaction, storytelling and expert cricket perspective alongside the traditional broadcast.
The alternate telecast will feature Jimmy O’Brien, former England international and 2019 Cricket World Cup champion Liam Plunkett and analyst and content creator Adam Bannon, bringing a mix of humor, insight and real-time reaction to some of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.
“I discovered cricket during COVID and instantly fell in love,” said O’Brien, founder of Jomboy Media. “We’re excited to create new fans in the US for baseball’s older cousin.”
Fans can watch the alternate telecast on Jomboy Media’s YouTube channel, which reaches more than 2 million subscribers, as well as Willow’s YouTube channel and across Willow by Cricbuzz’s website, mobile and connected TV apps.