In India, the India vs New Zealand tour streams only on SonyLIV, and the TV broadcast is on the Sony Sports Network. The cheapest way to stream it is the SonyLIV Mobile Only plan at ₹699 a year. To watch on a smart TV you need Premium, which costs ₹399 a month or ₹1,499 a year, either bought from SonyLIV or as the new add-on inside Prime Video.
The tour started today, 22 October 2026, and has 12 matches running to 1 December. This guide covers each SonyLIV plan, what you get for the money, how the Prime Video route works, and how to find Sony Sports on your DTH or cable connection. We also explain why there's no free way to watch that we can confirm.
Why SonyLIV is trending today
Two things happened a day apart:
- India's tour of New Zealand began on 22 October 2026. All five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests stream only on SonyLIV in India. That's why "sony sports" and "live tv" are trending too: people want to know where the match is on.
- On 21 October 2026, SonyLIV launched as an add-on subscription inside Prime Video India. Prime members can now add SonyLIV without leaving the Prime Video app.
One common mix-up: some older pages say India vs New Zealand is on JioHotstar. That was the January 2026 home series in India. This tour is in New Zealand, and the rights in India are with Sony.
SonyLIV subscription plans and price in India (2026)
These are the current prices. Some websites still show the old ₹299 monthly and ₹999 yearly prices, so check the plans page on sonyliv.com before you pay.
| Plan | Price | Devices and screens | Quality | Live cricket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Only | ₹699/year | Phone only | Mobile resolution | Yes |
| Premium (monthly) | ₹399/month | Phone, web, smart TV | HD | Yes |
| Premium (annual) | ₹1,499/year | Phone, web, smart TV; reportedly 2 screens and 5 profiles | Up to 4K with Dolby Atmos | Yes |
| SonyLIV add-on via Prime Video | ₹399/month or ₹1,499/year (on top of Prime) | Mobile, web, Fire TV, smart TVs | As per Prime Video app | Yes |
The "2 screens, 5 profiles" figure for annual Premium comes from one source only. If more than one person at home will stream at the same time, check the plan's screen limit on the checkout page before you buy.
Which SonyLIV plan do you need for cricket on a TV?
The Mobile Only plan is locked to phones, so you can't cast it to a smart TV or log in on a TV app with it. For the big screen:
- Watching only this tour: two months of Premium at ₹399 each costs ₹798 and covers 22 October to 1 December. That is cheaper than the ₹1,499 annual plan if you'll cancel afterwards.
- Watching cricket and other sport all year: the ₹1,499 annual Premium plan works out to about ₹125 a month. It also adds 4K and Dolby Atmos, which matters on a 4K TV.
- Watching on your phone only: ₹699 a year is the cheapest legal way to stream every match of the tour.
Shopping for a new screen before the ODIs? Our guides to the Samsung 43-inch 4K smart TV price in India and 43-inch smart TVs under ₹15,000 cover the TVs that run the SonyLIV app well.
SonyLIV on Prime Video: how the new add-on works
Since 21 October 2026, Prime Video India has offered SonyLIV as a paid add-on. Here's what you need to know:
- It costs extra. You pay ₹399 a month or ₹1,499 a year on top of your Prime membership. That's the same price as buying SonyLIV Premium directly.
- Prime Video bills you. You get one bill, and the payment method on your Amazon account is charged.
- It includes live sports. That covers India's bilateral cricket (this NZ tour included), the UEFA Champions League, the French Open, the Commonwealth Games and UFC.
- It includes the library. You get more than 450 movies and 300 shows in 8 languages, including the Scam franchise, Gullak, Sitaare Zameen Par, KBC Season 18, Indian Idol Season 17, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah and Family Full House With Rohit Sharma.
- It shares Prime Video's features. SonyLIV titles appear in your shared watchlist, recommendations and downloads. It works on mobile, web, Fire TV and smart TVs.
Should you buy direct or through Prime Video?
The price is the same either way, so pick whichever is easier for you:
- Through Prime Video if you already watch on a Fire TV Stick or the Prime Video app and want one app and one bill.
- Directly from SonyLIV if you don't have Prime, or if you want the ₹699 Mobile Only plan. The Prime add-on has no mobile-only tier.
To subscribe through Prime Video, open the app or website, go to the add-on subscriptions section, choose SonyLIV and pick monthly or annual. Then search for "India vs New Zealand" or open the live sports row to find the match.
Sony Sports on TV: which channel shows India vs New Zealand?
If you'd rather watch on live TV, the tour is on the Sony Sports Network. Sony usually shows a big India series on several Sony Sports Ten channels at once, in SD and HD. Each channel carries a different language feed, such as English, Hindi, Tamil or Telugu. Sony confirms the exact channel and language list for each match on its own social pages and in its pre-match listings.
How to find the Sony Sports channel number on your DTH
Channel numbers differ between Tata Play, Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV, d2h, Sun Direct and cable operators, and they change when operators reshuffle their lineups. We won't give numbers that might be wrong. Here's a quick way to find yours:
- Open your set-top box guide (EPG), go to the Sports genre, and look for "Sony Sports Ten".
- Or open your operator's app (Tata Play, Airtel Thanks, Dish TV/d2h) and search "Sony Sports". The app shows the number and whether you've subscribed to it.
- If the channel shows "not subscribed", add the Sony Sports channel or a Sony pack from the operator's app. It usually activates within minutes.
- Choose the HD version if you have an HD box and TV. The picture is noticeably sharper for cricket.
Live TV can make sense if you already pay for DTH. If you don't, a SonyLIV plan is usually cheaper than adding a sports pack.
Jio and Airtel bundles: can you get SonyLIV at no extra cost?
Telecom bundles are the closest thing to a "free" SonyLIV. Jio and Airtel have both offered prepaid, postpaid and broadband plans that include SonyLIV, often through apps like JioTV or Airtel Xstream Play. These offers change often, and many give access to a "content pack" rather than full Premium. Check what your plan includes before you count on it for live cricket:
- Look at the plan's benefits page in the MyJio or Airtel Thanks app and check that SonyLIV is listed by name.
- Check where you'll watch. Some bundles only work inside the telecom app, or only on a phone, not on a smart TV.
- Check that live sport is included. Some bundled tiers carry SonyLIV shows but not live cricket.
- Do the maths. If a higher recharge costs more than ₹699 a year extra just to get SonyLIV, the direct Mobile Only plan is cheaper.
If you only want a cheap Airtel SIM for calls, our explainer on Airtel voice-only plans shows why those plans don't come with OTT benefits.
Can you watch India vs New Zealand live for free?
We couldn't find a confirmed free option. None of our sources mention a DD Sports or free-to-air broadcast of this tour. SonyLIV does show free highlights and clips, but the full live match needs a paid plan. We also couldn't confirm a free trial, so don't count on one.
Stay away from "free live cricket" links and pirate streaming sites. They often carry malware, push fake betting apps, or try to steal card details. If one has already cheated you, our guide on reporting cyber fraud on helpline 1930 explains what to do.
India tour of New Zealand 2026: full schedule
All T20Is start at 8 PM local time in New Zealand. New Zealand is on daylight saving time (UTC+13) in late October, so that's 12:30 PM IST, the time most broadcasters list. One outlet listed 1:30 PM IST, so check SonyLIV's match page on the day. IST start times for the ODIs and Tests vary between sources.
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | 22 Oct | Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
| 2nd T20I | 24 Oct | Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
| 3rd T20I | 27 Oct | Wellington |
| 4th T20I | 30 Oct | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 5th T20I | 1 Nov | Seddon Park, Hamilton |
| 1st ODI | 4 Nov | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 2nd ODI | 7 Nov | Wellington |
| 3rd ODI | 10 Nov | Hamilton |
| 4th ODI | 13 Nov | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui |
| 5th ODI | 15 Nov | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui |
| 1st Test | 19–23 Nov | Basin Reserve, Wellington |
| 2nd Test | 27 Nov – 1 Dec | Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
These dates come from several media schedules that agree with each other. We couldn't find an official BCCI or New Zealand Cricket fixture list.
Squad and the 1st T20I so far
Shreyas Iyer captains India's T20I side, with Tilak Varma as vice-captain. The squad includes Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back in the T20I side after nearly four years. Jasprit Bumrah is not on the tour. Mitchell Santner leads New Zealand.
In the opener, India won the toss and bowled. New Zealand made 225/4, their highest home T20I total against India, with Glenn Phillips scoring 82 not out off 40 balls. Arshdeep played his 100th T20I. At the time of writing, India were about 62/0 chasing 226. Overall, India lead the T20I head-to-head 19–11 with one tie. For full squads and the streaming lineup by match, see our IND vs NZ T20 live streaming and squads page.
Watching from outside India
SonyLIV's India rights don't apply abroad. The tour is shown on:
- New Zealand: Sky Sport
- UK: TNT Sports
- Australia: Fox Sports
- USA and Canada: Willow TV
What else is on SonyLIV once you've paid?
A Premium plan also covers the rest of the library. Recent additions include the thriller Eyes, released on 9 October in five languages, and new episodes of KBC Season 18. For more new releases across platforms, see our weekly new OTT releases list.
Quick decision guide
- Phone only, lowest cost: SonyLIV Mobile Only, ₹699/year.
- Smart TV, just this tour: SonyLIV Premium monthly, ₹399 × 2 months.
- Smart TV, all year, 4K: SonyLIV Premium annual, ₹1,499.
- Already on Prime Video or a Fire TV: the SonyLIV add-on in Prime Video, same price, one bill.
- Already paying for DTH: add the Sony Sports channel from your operator's app.
For more explainers on what's trending, visit the KyunTrend homepage.