YouTube to stream IPL semis and final live in US

WASHINGTON: Fans of Indian Premier League cricket in the United States will be able to watch the semi-finals and final of the season live on YouTube, the Google-owned website said on Tuesday.

Previously, US viewers of YouTube could watch IPL matches but they were time-delayed, starting only 15 minutes after the game ended.

YouTube, in a blog post today, said the semi-finals and finals, however, would be streamed live in the United States, as they have been all season in other countries.

YouTube said the IPL channel on the video-sharing site has received more than 40 million views, with the United States second only to India in total views.

The first semi-final of the IPL, which features the world's top players in eight teams, is on Wednesday.

Google has been granted exclusive online rights to IPL content for two years and the California Internet giant and the IPL are jointly sharing revenues from sponsorship and advertising.

The deal is the first under which Google is streaming a sports event live and highlight's the company's Internet broadcasting ambitions.