NPL 2026 Broadcasters: Season 3 vs Season 2 Compared

NPL 2026 Broadcasters: Season 3 Lineup

Season 3 has the simplest rights picture the league has ever had: two broadcasters, one tender, announced 7 September 2026. NetTV Pvt. Ltd. won the worldwide over-the-top package with a bid of Rs 180.4 million, and the package covers every territory including India. The Himalaya Television Network won the Nepal linear television package for Rs 146.4 million, with the Himalaya Sports channel carrying the games. eSewa Ltd. took the ticketing rights for Rs 8.5 million and also sells the NetTV season pass coupons. The association’s press release put the whole sale at Rs 335.3 million.

The bidding was competitive. Digo Stream, DishHome’s rebranded OTT service, bid Rs 170 million for the OTT package and lost to NetTV. Himalaya’s own figure includes taxes: the broadcaster said it bid Rs 172.4 million including taxes (Rs 145.6 million excluding), a record number that it described as more than five times last year’s broadcast rights value and about two and a half times the minimum the association had set. That jump says more about the league’s commercial growth than any slogan could — the third season is selling its rights for roughly triple the previous edition’s total.

From a fan’s seat the consolidation helps. Last season you needed different services in different countries; this season one OTT app covers the whole world, and viewers inside Nepal get a dedicated linear channel. The opener on 26 October is Lumbini Lions against Sudurpaschim Royals, a repeat of last season’s final, and the final is on 21 November.

NPL 2026 Season 3 vs Season 2: Rights Comparison

Last season the rights were split across several partners, which is why old guides and old app habits keep misleading people. The table below marks the Season 2 deals as historical so nobody confuses them with this season’s rights.

The money trail explains the shake-up. Under last season’s model the association collected a Rs 53 million minimum guarantee from the ex-India OTT deal, with a 71 percent share of any OTT revenue above that floor, and the India rights went for roughly Rs 20 million. NetTV’s single worldwide bid of Rs 180.4 million replaced all of that at once — more than three times what the previous edition’s OTT rights fetched. The old partners did not lose a fight they were entitled to win; their contracts ended, the association re-tendered, and the new bids set the market price.

NPL 2026 NetTV Rights: Rs 180.4 Million for Worldwide OTT

NetTV’s number is the headline of the Season 3 sale. Rs 18.04 crore for worldwide streaming rights is, by the association’s own account, more than triple what the OTT package fetched last time. The package includes India, which is the point most likely to confuse returning viewers: FanCode’s Season 2 India deal is over, and no new India sublicence has been announced. The streaming hub’s platforms section keeps the confirmed rights holders in one place if you want the short version.

What the bid buys a viewer is consistency. One pass covers all 32 matches: the 28 league games, the two qualifiers, the eliminator and the final on 21 November. It works in the NetTV mobile app on Android and iOS and on the web platform in a browser. The season pass coupon terms exclude Smart TV and set-top box apps, so the pass will not activate on a native TV app — a laptop plugged into the TV over HDMI is the reliable big-screen route. The full guide to the pass is at NetTV season pass.

A note on FanCode, since it keeps coming up: its site carries Season 3 fixture and match pages, and some of those pages show a watch button. That is fixture aggregation, not a rights deal, and the FanCode status guide walks through the evidence. Treat any page selling an NPL 2026 pass “on FanCode” as unconfirmed until the league or FanCode announces a deal.

NPL 2026 Himalaya Sports TV Rights: Rs 146.4 Million in Nepal

The television side of the sale went to the Himalaya Television Network for Rs 146.4 million, with the Himalaya Sports channel as the on-air home. The broadcaster’s own tax-inclusive figure is Rs 172.4 million, and it called the bid a record — more than five times what last season’s television rights were worth, and roughly two and a half times the minimum the association set. For viewers in Nepal that means a single linear channel for the whole tournament, replacing Kantipur Max from last season.

Himalaya has packaged the coverage as a studio production: its show runs under the title “Red Bull Cricket Live in association with Bajaj Pulsar”. If you are in Nepal and want the tournament on a television set without any app, this is the channel to look for on your cable or DTH lineup — the Himalaya Sports TV guide covers channel finding and match-day timings. Outside Nepal there is no confirmed linear deal; one outlet reported that the television broadcast outside Nepal will continue through Star Sports, but the association has not formally confirmed any arrangement, so treat that as expected rather than official.

NPL 2026 Broadcaster Prices: What Fans Pay

The rights fees are the league’s business; the season pass is yours. The NetTV pass for all 32 matches is priced by region: Nepal pays Rs 400 including tax, the Middle East pays Rs 600 through eSewa (also reported as about US$4), and the USA, Europe, Australia, Japan and South Korea all fall in the US$10 band. For countries without a published tier, India included, the number appears inside the NetTV app at checkout, before any money moves. Check it there and buy only once you are sure of the country you will watch from.

Three terms apply everywhere and are worth reading before you pay. The pass is locked to the country of purchase, it cannot be refunded, and it works on the mobile app and the web platform only — not on Smart TV or set-top box apps. A coupon bought through eSewa carries the same limits, and eSewa’s purchase flow is covered in the eSewa pass and tickets guide. If the price or the timing does not suit you, remember the free options: ball-by-ball scores on the live scores page during every game, and highlights on the videos page after each match.

NPL 2026 Match Times on TV and Stream

Every game is at one venue, the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, so the pattern is fixed for the whole tournament. Double-header days have matches at 12:30 PM and 5:00 PM Nepal Time; single-match days have one game at 5:00 PM. Nepal Time is UTC+5:45, so the UTC equivalents are 06:45 and 11:15. The association revised the evening start from 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM on 20 October, so any timetable still showing 4:30 is out of date.

The full fixture runs 26 October to 21 November: 28 league games, two qualifiers, an eliminator and the final. This season also uses DRS in every match, which should settle the close calls in the evening games. The complete list of fixtures is on the NPL 2026 schedule page, and supporters can follow last season’s two finalists, Lumbini Lions and Sudurpaschim Royals, on their team pages.

NPL 2026 Broadcasters and Illegal Streams: What to Avoid

Every season change breeds a crop of pirate sites, and this one’s crop is predictable: pages that borrow the NetTV, Himalaya Sports, Kantipur Max or FanCode name, promise a free live stream of Season 3, and ask for a card, a login or a download. None of them is official. The only confirmed Season 3 broadcasters are NetTV and Himalaya Sports; a site carrying neither name and the league’s blessing has no rights to the footage.

The warning signs are consistent. A “free live stream” of a tournament whose confirmed streaming rights sold for Rs 18.04 crore is lying on its face. Unofficial stream sites routinely carry malicious advertising, the streams breach the rights holders’ terms, and the ones asking for payment details are often plain phishing. Old names are another trap: a page offering NPL 2026 “on Kantipur Max” or “on DishHome GO” is selling last season’s deal. If it is not NetTV’s own app or web platform, and not the association’s own channels, it does not have the matches.

Conclusion

Season 3 simplified the rights and raised the price: NetTV’s Rs 18.04 crore worldwide OTT deal and Himalaya Sports’ Rs 14.64 crore Nepal TV deal replaced Kantipur Max, DishHome GO and FanCode in one tender. For viewers that means one app for every match worldwide, one TV channel inside Nepal, and the same free fallbacks (live scores and highlights) as always. This page will be updated if a new sublicence is announced, but until then, those two names are the whole Season 3 broadcaster list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the official NPL 2026 broadcasters?

NetTV holds the worldwide OTT streaming rights (Rs 18.04 crore) and the Himalaya Television Network holds the Nepal linear television rights (Rs 14.64 crore). eSewa holds ticketing. No other broadcaster has been announced for Season 3.

How much did the NPL 2026 rights sell for?

The Cricket Association of Nepal announced the sale on 7 September 2026: Rs 180.4 million for worldwide OTT (NetTV), Rs 146.4 million for Nepal television (Himalaya TV), and Rs 8.5 million for ticketing (eSewa) — Rs 335.3 million in total.

Why are Kantipur Max and DishHome GO not showing NPL 2026?

Their Season 2 contracts ended and they did not win the Season 3 tender. DishHome’s rebranded Digo Stream bid Rs 170 million for the OTT package and lost to NetTV’s Rs 180.4 million. The only confirmed Season 3 broadcasters are NetTV and Himalaya Sports.

Is FanCode an official NPL 2026 broadcaster?

No. FanCode streamed the league in India in Season 2, and its site lists Season 3 fixtures, but no Season 3 sublicence or award has been announced. The confirmed streaming rights holder for Season 3, worldwide including India, is NetTV.

Can I watch NPL 2026 for free legally?

There is no free legal live stream of Season 3. The free legal options are ball-by-ball live scores through every match and post-match highlights, both free on this site. The paid route is the NetTV season pass — Rs 400 in Nepal, Rs 600 in the Middle East, and US$10 in the other published markets.