Previously US fans had to sign up for subscription-based online sports site Willow.tv and pay $60 to stream the games in real time if they wanted to view the action live. This is the first time YouTube will offer live streaming of the event.
However, as a concession to conflicting pay-TV rights, it must present the games to viewers in the US "time-looped", about 15 minutes after each game ends.The games will be streamed on YouTube's IPL channel at youtube.com/ipl. Fans can also replay archived videos of the games.
With cricket becoming more popular in the US, the IPL channel on the video-sharing site has received more than 40 million views, with the US second only to India in total views, YouTube said. The first semi-final of the IPL, which features the world's top players in eight teams, is Wednesday.
Published 20 April 2010, 05:21 IST