NBC Sports & Willow Team Up to Air SF Unicorns Matches
The San Francisco Unicorns has announced a landmark partnership for all of its Cognizant Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 matches to be presented live on NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California, in partnership with cricket streaming platform Willow by Cricbuzz.
Northern California sports fans will be able to catch the elite cricketing action live on NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California for the duration of the tournament, including The Unicorns’ three matches at the historic Oakland Coliseum, which will bring cricket to the Bay Area for the first time.
MLC 2025 begins at 6:00 PM PT on June 12, 2025, with the San Francisco Unicorns playing Washington Freedom in a repeat of last year’s Championship Game. Network TV coverage broadcast to the Bay Area will allow millions of viewers the opportunity to experience the thrill of T20 cricket and world-class talent on display.
NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California will broadcast the ten league phase matches via Willow by Cricbuzz, North America’s only 24/7 live cricket channel and official streaming partner of Major League Cricket for the past two seasons, with first-class coverage and commentary which showcases the live action at its best, while also providing an accessible entry point for newcomers to cricket.
David White, CEO of the San Francisco Unicorns, said: “We’re incredibly excited by this landmark partnership with NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports California, and Willow by Cricbuzz to bring live Unicorns cricket directly to fans in the region. This is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the first-rate viewing experience that short-form cricket offers, and that extra dimension of playing in-market for the first time makes it all the more relevant.
“Our ongoing mission is to grow the cricket community within the Bay Area and to make Unicorns matches easily accessible. Delivering the action to local fans in a premium manner will invigorate the grassroots and inspire a new generation of players.”
Ben Rodrigues, NBC Sports Bay Area Senior Director of Multi-Platform Programming, commented on the announcement: “Major League Cricket is a high-quality product which continues to build a passionate following across the US, particularly in the Bay Area. Having seen the development of US cricket through previous editions, as well as the catalyst of last year’s World Cup, we’re looking forward to delivering viewers another season of elite cricket action.
“The San Francisco Unicorns have gone above and beyond to develop a strong fan base in the area. Playing three matches at the Oakland Coliseum shows their ambition, and we can’t wait to share their journey as they look to progress to the latter stages of this year’s tournament.”
Todd Myers, COO at Willow by Cricbuzz, added: “We’ve established a strong relationship with Major League Cricket, delivering the best domestic cricket action to the US audience since its inception, and this latest partnership with NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California allows us to further showcase our quality programming in one of its biggest domestic markets.”
The full San Francisco Unicorns league stage schedule is as follows:
- Thursday, June 12 vs. Washington Freedom (Oakland)
- Saturday, June 14 vs. LA Knight Riders (Oakland)
- Sunday, June 15 vs. MI New York (Oakland)
- Friday, June 20 vs. Texas Super Kings (Grand Prairie, TX)
- Monday, June 23 vs. MI New York (Grand Prairie, TX)
- Wednesday, June 25 vs. Seattle Orcas (Grand Prairie, TX)
- Saturday, June 28 vs. Washington Freedom (Grand Prairie, TX)
- Tuesday, July 1 vs. Seattle Orcas (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
- Friday, July 4 vs. Texas Super Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
- Sunday, July 6 vs. LA Knight Riders (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
