How to watch the IPL 2023: Live stream this year’s tournament in the UK, US and abroad
All the information you need to know ahead of the IPL playoffs and the route to the final on Sunday 28 May
The world’s biggest Twenty20 competition, the Indian Premier League (IPL), returned for its 16th year in March and is well underway. For the first time in four years, the league returned to its home-and-away format for the 70-group games and with that section of the competition almost complete, a four-match eliminator awaits to crown the 2023 IPL champions in just a matter of days.
You can watch every game live on Sky Sports in the UK or ESPN+ in the US. If you’re on holiday abroad, you can access all three streaming services using a good VPN, like ExpressVPN.
Teams playing in the IPL 2023
For the second year in a row, there are ten teams playing in the IPL. These are the Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans.
How does the IPL 2023 work?
For the 2023 edition, things are a little complicated – although the same format as the 2022 edition if you were watching last year. Firstly, the teams are split into two groups. Each team will play 14 group stage matches: twice against each side in their respective group and once against each team in the other group. If they are in the same row as a team from the other group, they will also play that team twice taking the total to 14. Below you can find groups A and B.
Group A | Group B |
Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings |
Kolkata Knight Riders | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
Rajasthan Royals | Royal Challengers Bangalore |
Delhi Capitals | Punjab Kings |
Lucknow Super Giants | Gujarat Titans |
After all 70 group matches have been played, culminating on 21 May, the four teams with the most points will then qualify for the playoffs (another four matches in total) to determine the champion of 2023. The final will take place on 28 May 2023.
Race for the playoffs 2023
So far, Gujarat Titans are the only team to seal their spot in the 2023 IPL playoffs in just their second year in the IPL. Fellow 2nd-year campaigners Lucknow Super Giants look on course to join them in the final four alongside Chennai Super Kings. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians are also in the mix but it’s too tight to call at this stage. The magic 16-point mark will secure a route to the semi-finals and potentially glory in this year’s competition.
How to watch the IPL 2023 in the UK: Sky Sports and Now Sports Membership
Sky Sports renewed their contract with the IPL to exclusively broadcast the tournament in the UK for 2023. That means this year’s tournament will only be available for viewing if you have purchased a Sky Sports package.
If you’re already a Sky customer you can add Sky Sports to your existing package by purchasing the add-on for an extra £25/mth. This will involve a one-time setup fee and will tie you to a minimum 18-month contract. But since you’re already with Sky, you’ll be able to watch all the matches via the Sky Go app when away from home – however, each Sky subscription limits you to registering three devices and you can only watch one of them at a time, which could make your IPL viewing a little awkward for anyone sharing a Sky account. Plus, you can only add/remove one device each calendar month, so make sure you’re all set to follow the action before any batters step up to the crease.
For those that aren’t already Sky customers, your best bet for streaming all the IPL 2023 fixtures – without committing to a Sky TV contract – is via a Now Sports Membership. You can instantly purchase a pass and start streaming live content to any of your devices for £33.99/mth, or £9.99 if you simply want to taste a single day’s worth of IPL drama. Each Now account can be registered with six devices at once and will stream on two simultaneously, including via a Smart TV or game consoles. This subscription is for 720p quality, but for Full HD coverage, you can pay an additional £3/mth for the Now Boost package which also lets you stream content on three devices simultaneously. Both options will provide access to all 11 Sky Sports channels to watch the latest Premier League and EFL football, as well as Formula One, golf and American sports like the NFL.
How to watch IPL 2023 in the US: ESPN+
Since the 2022 season, ESPN+ has broadcast the IPL and for 2023 has also committed to streaming all 70+ matches. The streaming service also broadcasts a variety of sporting events, including La Liga and Bundesliga football, the NFL, US Open and other events like the UFC and boxing bouts. It costs $6.99/mth or $69.99/yr. ESPN+ can also be bundled in with Disney Plus and Hulu for $13.99/mth.
How to watch IPL 2023 anywhere in the world: use a good VPN service
The Indian Premier League is a long tournament, spanning almost two months. If you’re abroad during this time – or if you live in a country where the IPL 2023 won’t be available to watch – then your only chance to follow the action live on one of the above streaming services is to use a good VPN service. Doing so will change your IP address to make it appear as if you were browsing from the country of your choosing – this will be the country where your streaming service is registered since streaming content in any other country will be geo-blocked. After you’ve set up your VPN, you can then simply log in to your streaming service or TV account and watch the IPL as you normally would.
READ NEXT: Best VPNs for speed, privacy and streaming
ExpressVPN: This is our favourite VPN when it comes to streaming since we found it to be a top-tier option for getting past those pesky geo-blocking techniques used by streaming services like Disney Plus. As it has over 3,000 servers in 94 countries, you’ll be able to watch every single over of the 2023 IPL season wherever you are and it won’t cost too much either since you’ll get 3 months free – a saving of 49% – by following the link below. Read our full ExpressVPN review for more details.
NordVPN: When it comes to offering an all-around package, NordVPN really trumps all other VPN services we’ve tested. As a PC program, it has a beautiful map-based interface so you truly know where you are surfing from and can navigate it with ease. No one else will know your true location though, since NordVPN is based in Panama and offers top-of-the-line security that has been independently audited to prove that your streaming data is not being recorded. Like ExpressVPN, it also comes with 24/7 customer support and a 30-day money-back guarantee should you run into any problems. Read our full NordVPN review for more details.