Himalaya Sports NPL 2026: TV Channel Guide for Nepal

Himalaya Sports NPL 2026: the Official Nepal TV Channel

There is exactly one official TV home for NPL Season 3 inside Nepal: Himalaya Sports, the sports channel of the Himalaya Television Network. The Cricket Association of Nepal awarded the network the tournament's linear television rights for Nepal on 7 September 2026, meaning every one of the 32 matches (all 28 league fixtures and the four playoff games) is scheduled for live television broadcast on the channel, alongside the pre-match and post-match programming the network produces around each game.

This is the first season the rights sit with Himalaya. Last season's Nepal television partner was Kantipur Max, and the change came about because the Season 3 bidding process opened all the rights packages again — and the numbers moved sharply. Understanding the clean split is the fastest way to avoid confusion: NetTV, backed by WorldLink, holds the worldwide over-the-top streaming rights (its app and web platform, everywhere), while Himalaya Sports holds the Nepal-only linear television rights. Two partners, two territories, no overlap.

That split also settles the two most common mix-ups. DishHome GO was a Season 2 OTT arrangement, not a Season 3 television broadcaster, and Kantipur Max's association with the league belongs to the previous edition. For Season 3, the TV listings that matter for viewers in Nepal say Himalaya Sports, and nothing else has been announced.

Himalaya Sports NPL 2026 Rights Deal: Rs 14.64 Crore

The television deal is part of the largest rights package in the league's short history. Three agreements were awarded together on 7 September 2026, worth a combined Rs 33.53 crore to the Cricket Association of Nepal: NetTV's worldwide OTT rights at Rs 18.04 crore, Himalaya Television Network's Nepal linear TV rights at Rs 14.64 crore (Rs 146.4 million), and eSewa's ticketing rights at Rs 85 lakh. CAN's statement also set the commercial split on ticketing: the association receives 15 percent of ticketing revenue while eSewa takes five percent.

The Himalaya bid itself was reported at Rs 172.4 million including taxes, nearly two and a half times the minimum base price the association had set and roughly five times what the previous edition's broadcast rights were worth. Network chair Dharma Raj Bhusal has framed the deal as a strategic, long-term investment in Nepali sport rather than a single-season advertising play, and the sponsorship lineup Himalaya Sports has since assembled around the broadcast shows the network spending against that ambition: Red Bull was named title sponsor of the NPL broadcast at a ceremony on 1 October, with the pre-match and post-match programme titled "Red Bull Cricket Live in Association with Bajaj Pulsar". Bajaj Pulsar is the association partner, Prostyle, Nepal Life Insurance and Proton are the "Powered By" partners, and Asian Paints, Soyum and Himstar have come in as co-sponsors.

For viewers, the business side translates into production: a rights fee that large is being backed by a full studio operation, and the names Himalaya Sports has hired are the strongest argument the network has that its coverage will look different from anything before it.

Himalaya Sports NPL 2026 on Cable, DTH and Satellite: Channel Availability

The honest version of this section is short, because channel numbers have to come from the providers and they are not all published. Here is what is actually verified, provider by provider:

Two practical consequences follow. First, the channel is a regular part of Nepali television platforms, not a separate purchase: there is no "NPL TV pass" to buy, and nobody should pay a third party for access to Himalaya Sports' coverage. What you pay is set by your cable or DTH provider's ordinary package, not by the tournament. Second, if you are travelling outside Nepal during the season, the television guide stops being useful to you; the streaming route on NetTV is the worldwide one.

If Himalaya Sports publishes an official channel-number list with providers before the opener, this section will be updated. Until then, treat any "official channel number" posted on social media without a provider source as unverified.

Himalaya Sports Studio Lineup for NPL 2026: Shoaib Akhtar and the Analysts

The name that put the Himalaya Sports Season 3 operation on the map is Shoaib Akhtar. The network announced on 16 October that the former Pakistan fast bowler, the "Rawalpindi Express", who holds the fastest officially recorded delivery in cricket (161.3 km/h against England in the 2003 World Cup, with 178 Test and 247 ODI wickets for Pakistan between 1997 and 2011), has been signed as a special guest for the pre-match and post-match programme "Red Bull Cricket Live in Association with Bajaj Pulsar". Chief executive Suraj Giri called the signing a milestone for sports broadcasting in Nepal, and Akhtar's appearances will include analysis of the technical side of the game, his reading of Nepali cricket's potential, and fan meet-and-greet events during his visit.

The rest of the studio team is already announced and reads like a serious international desk. Navneet Krishna brings Indian sports broadcasting experience to the presenting role; Kevin O'Brien, the former Ireland international who wrote one of the great World Cup innings into Irish cricket history, joins as an expert analyst; and Bardan Chalise, the former Nepal national team player, adds the domestic game's insider read. Around the matches themselves, Himalaya Sports plans pre-match and post-match analysis shows, exclusive interviews and additional cricket programming across the 27-day tournament.

One more production fact worth knowing: the Decision Review System will be used in all NPL Season 3 matches. The television coverage will carry the DRS calls and replays as part of the live broadcast, so the close lbw and caught-behind decisions in the season's tight games will play out on screen rather than by the on-field umpire's call alone.

NPL 2026 TV Schedule: All 32 Matches on Himalaya Sports

Himalaya Sports' coverage window covers the same two daily start times for the whole season, Nepal time (NST, UTC+5:45):

• Double-header days: 12:30 PM and 5:00 PM NST
• Single-match days: 5:00 PM NST

The season opens on Monday 26 October with Lumbini Lions against Sudurpaschim Royals (the defending champions against the side they beat in last season's final) at 5:00 PM Nepal time. The league stage then runs through 28 fixtures, with rest days on 30 October and 4, 8 and 11 November, and the playoffs keep the same pattern: Qualifier 1 on 17 November, the Eliminator on 18 November, Qualifier 2 on 19 November, and the grand finale on Saturday 21 November at 5:00 PM NST. All four knockout games are evening matches.

A timing correction for anyone reading older previews: on 20 October the Cricket Association of Nepal revised the season's start times, moving the evening slot from 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM Nepal time. Previews published before that date quote the 4:30 start; the figures above are the current ones. The date-by-date calendar for every match is on the full schedule page.

If you cannot be in front of the television for a game, the live-scores page follows every ball free, and the videos page carries post-match highlights and clips — the same free legal options that sit alongside the paid streaming route on the where-to-watch hub.

NPL 2026 TV Broadcast: the False Claims to Ignore

A record rights season attracts record confusion, and three false claims keep circulating about NPL Season 3 on television:

• "Kantipur Max is showing Season 3." Kantipur Max was the Nepal television partner in a previous edition. It is not a Season 3 rights holder. The Season 3 award named Himalaya Sports alone for Nepal linear TV.
• "The evening matches start at 4:30 PM." True before 20 October. The association moved the evening start to 5:00 PM NST, and older articles have not all caught up.
• "A TV pass costs extra." Himalaya Sports is a regular channel on your cable or DTH package; there is no separate tournament TV pass. Separately, be wary of anyone selling "free TV stream" links for the tournament — pirated streams cut out mid-match, carry malware, and the free legal options (live scores, highlights) cover every game for nothing.

One more honest boundary: television rights are Nepal-only. If you are outside the country and a listing promises NPL 2026 on a local TV channel, check whether any announcement from the Cricket Association of Nepal exists — as of 23 October 2026, none has been announced for any country besides Nepal.

Conclusion

Himalaya Sports NPL 2026 is the complete Nepal television picture for the season: the Himalaya Television Network's Rs 14.64 crore rights award, all 32 matches live at 12:30 PM and 5:00 PM NST from 26 October to 21 November, the "Red Bull Cricket Live" studio operation with Shoaib Akhtar, Navneet Krishna, Kevin O'Brien and Bardan Chalise, and carriage on your regular cable or DTH package — with the consumer channel number still to be confirmed by providers. Viewers outside Nepal watch on NetTV instead, and everyone can fall back on free live scores and highlights for any game they miss.

Frequently asked questions

Is Himalaya Sports an official NPL 2026 broadcaster?

Yes. The Cricket Association of Nepal awarded the Himalaya Television Network the linear television rights for NPL Season 3 within Nepal on 7 September 2026, on a bid of Rs 14.64 crore (Rs 172.4 million including taxes). Its sports channel, Himalaya Sports, is the official Nepal TV home of the tournament. NetTV separately holds the worldwide OTT streaming rights.

How much does it cost to watch NPL 2026 on Himalaya Sports?

There is no separate tournament TV pass. Himalaya Sports is a regular channel on Nepali television platforms, so access is covered by your cable operator or DTH package as normal. Anyone charging you extra specifically for the NPL telecast is not acting for the channel.

Which devices show the Himalaya Sports NPL 2026 broadcast?

Any television connected to a cable operator or DTH service that carries Himalaya Sports — the broadcast is linear TV, so it works on the sets people already own. Carriage is confirmed on the DishHome platform (channel number to be confirmed by the provider) and varies by cable operator; verify your own provider's channel list before 26 October. Viewers without a TV option can use NetTV's streaming pass (Rs 400 in Nepal for all 32 matches).

Can I watch NPL 2026 free legally?

There is no free legal live TV stream of the tournament. The free legal options are ball-by-ball live scores through every game and post-match highlights and clips, both free on this site. The Himalaya Sports television broadcast itself is part of your ordinary cable or DTH package, with no separate fee.