StatusClaims OpenFinal approval hearing February 25, 2027
Claim DeadlineJuly 21, 2026opt-out / objection deadline also July 21, 2026
Estimated PayoutPro Rata Share of $850,000cash; amount depends on how many of the ~75,830 class members file valid claims
Proof RequiredNono Class Member ID, PIN, or receipts — just a Claim Form signed under penalty of perjury (sworn attestation)
Who's CoveredWillow TV subscribers who watched videossubscribed to Willow TV & watched pre-recorded videos on Willow.tv between July 20, 2021 and September 22, 2023
What Is the Willow TV Settlement About?
A proposed class action settlement has been reached in Kishore, et al. v. Times Internet (UK)
LTD., Case No. 4:23-cv-03594-HSG, pending in the United States District Court for the Northern
District of California. The lawsuit alleges that Times Internet (UK) LTD., doing business as
Willow TV, shared or otherwise made accessible to third parties — such as Meta (Facebook) —
the personally identifiable information ("PII") of its subscribers, including the specific
pre-recorded videos they requested or watched, allegedly without consent. The plaintiffs say that
conduct violated the federal Video Privacy Protection Act ("VPPA") and California law. The
VPPA defines PII to include information identifying a person as having requested or obtained
specific video materials or services from a video service provider.
Times Internet expressly denies each of the allegations, denies any wrongdoing or liability, and
no court has made any finding against it. The Court has not decided who is right. Instead, the
parties agreed to a settlement to avoid the costs and risks of continued litigation and to get
payments to class members.
What Is Willow TV?
Willow (Willow.tv) is a U.S.-based subscription streaming service and pay-TV channel devoted almost
entirely to cricket — live international matches plus replays, highlights, and other
pre-recorded cricket programming. It has operated an internet portal for live streaming at
willow.tv since 2003 and launched as a U.S. cable channel in 2010, building an audience largely
among the South Asian diaspora in North America. Willow was acquired by Times Internet (part
of India's Times Group) in 2016, and in 2024 the service was rebranded and integrated with the
Times Group's cricket site Cricbuzz. A Willow subscription has typically run about $9.99 per month
or $79.99 per year and is available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and major smart-TV
platforms.
Willow does not publicly disclose its total subscriber count. What the court record does tell us is
the size of the affected group: filings in this case estimate the Settlement Class at roughly
75,830 people — that is, the number of Willow subscribers who streamed pre-recorded videos on
Willow.tv during the roughly two-year class window. That figure is a useful proxy for how many U.S.
cricket fans were actively watching on-demand Willow content in that period, even though it is not
the platform's lifetime subscriber total.
Who Qualifies for the Willow TV Settlement?
You are a Settlement Class Member if you subscribed to Willow TV and watched pre-recorded videos
on Willow.tv between July 20, 2021 and September 22, 2023. As noted above, court filings put the
class at approximately 75,830 people. If you received an email or notice about this
settlement, you were identified from Willow's records as likely falling within that definition.
How Much Money Can You Get?
If the settlement is approved, Times Internet will establish a Settlement Fund of $850,000.
That fund pays valid claims plus the costs of the settlement. Before any money is distributed to
class members, the following come out of the fund: notice and administration expenses; attorneys'
fees and costs (Class Counsel may request up to 33% of the fund, plus reasonable expenses);
and Service Awards of up to $7,500 each for the two Settlement Class Representatives. The
Court decides the final amounts and may award less.
Whatever remains is the Net Settlement Fund, which is divided pro rata (in equal
shares) among every class member who submits a valid claim. Because the payout is pro rata, the
exact dollar amount per person depends on how many of the roughly 75,830 class members actually
file — the fewer valid claims, the larger each individual check, and vice versa. The final figure
won't be known until after the claim deadline passes and claims are validated.
How Do I File a Willow TV Claim?
The only way to get paid is to submit a timely, properly completed Claim Form. You can file
online on the official settlement website or download and mail a paper Claim Form to the Settlement
Administrator. The completed Claim Form must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. PST on July 21,
2026, or postmarked by July 21, 2026.
• Online: file at the official settlement website,
WillowTVVPPASettlement.com.
• By mail: a paper Claim Form is available to download on the settlement website and can
be mailed to the Settlement Administrator at the P.O. Box address listed there.
The Claim Form is short. It asks for your name and contact information and how you want to be paid —
you choose PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or a paper check mailed to you. You do not need a Class Member ID,
Notice ID, PIN, receipts, or any other documentation to file. If you can't find the email or notice
the administrator sent you, use the contact form on the official settlement website to reach the
Settlement Administrator rather than relying on any number or address forwarded to you in an
unsolicited message.
What the form does require is an attestation under oath: you sign it under penalty of perjury,
swearing that you are the person identified and that the information you gave is true and correct.
In other words, instead of asking you to prove class membership with an administrator-issued code,
the settlement relies on your sworn statement — so answer truthfully, and only file if you actually
subscribed to Willow TV and watched pre-recorded videos on Willow.tv during the class period.
Key Deadlines and the Final Approval Hearing
• July 21, 2026 — deadline to submit a Claim Form (online or postmarked).
• July 21, 2026 — deadline to opt out (exclude yourself) or to file a written
objection.
• February 25, 2027 at 2:00 p.m. PST — the Court's Final Approval Hearing, before the
Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., at the Oakland Courthouse, to decide whether the settlement is
fair, reasonable, and adequate and to consider Class Counsel's fees and the service awards.
Payments are made only if the Court grants final approval and after any appeals are resolved. The
hearing date and format can change, so check the official settlement website for updates.
Your Other Options: Opt Out or Object
Opt out (exclude yourself). If you don't want to be bound by the settlement and want to keep
any right to sue Times Internet separately, you must submit an opt-out request by July 21,
2026. The request must include the case name (Kishore, et al. v. Times Internet (UK) LTD.,
Case No. 4:23-cv-03594-HSG (N.D. Cal.)), your first and last name, your contact information, your
personal signature, and a clear statement that you want to be excluded. You can only exclude
yourself — not anyone else. If you opt out, you give up the right to any payment.
Object. If you stay in the class, you can object to the settlement by writing to the Court
on or before July 21, 2026. Your objection must include the case name and number, your full
name and contact information, the specific grounds for your objection, a statement of any prior
class-action objections by you or your counsel, and whether you intend to appear at the Final
Approval Hearing. You can object and still file a Claim Form, but you cannot both opt out and
object. The full requirements are spelled out in the official Class Notice on the settlement
website.
The Lawyers and the Cost to You
The Court appointed HammondLaw, P.C. as Class Counsel to represent the Settlement Class. You
are not charged anything personally for their services. Class Counsel will ask the Court to award
attorneys' fees of up to 33% of the Settlement Fund plus reasonable litigation expenses, and
service awards of up to $7,500 each for the two Class Representatives. Class Counsel's fee
motion is due to be filed by June 16, 2026 and will be posted on the settlement website. If you want
your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.
What Am I Giving Up If I Stay in the Class?
Unless you opt out, you remain in the Settlement Class and release your claims. That means you
cannot sue, continue to sue, or be part of any other lawsuit against Times Internet about the legal
claims or factual allegations this settlement resolves — including claims that were or could have
been brought based on the same facts about sharing video-viewing information. The exact "Released
Claims" are described in the Settlement Agreement available on the official settlement website.
Is the Willow TV Settlement a Scam? How to Stay Safe
This is a legitimate, court-supervised settlement, but privacy settlements always attract copycat
scams. A few signals separate the real process from fraud:
• Filing a claim is free. Anyone who asks you to pay a fee, hand over banking
passwords, or buy gift cards to "release" a Willow TV payment is running a scam.
• The official settlement website is WillowTVVPPASettlement.com. Type it into your
browser directly rather than clicking a shortened or unfamiliar link from a text or email.
• The settlement administrator will not ask for your full Social Security number or banking
login to process a claim. Treat any such request as phishing.
How Do I Find Class Action Settlements?
Find all the latest class actions you can qualify for by getting notified of new lawsuits as soon
as they are open to claims:
Official Settlement Notice
Related Video-Privacy (VPPA) Settlements
Video Privacy Protection Act class actions are a growing pattern across streaming services, sports
platforms, and news publishers. Related cases tracked on OpenClassActions.com:
• Official Settlement Website: WillowTVVPPASettlement.com
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Kishore, et al. v. Times
Internet (UK) LTD., Case No. 4:23-cv-03594-HSG
• Official Class Notice (PDF): Willow TV VPPA Settlement Notice (PDF)
Case Information
OpenClassActions.com is a consumer news site. We report on filed complaints, court orders, and
proposed settlements. We are not a law firm, we are not Class Counsel, we are not the Settlement
Administrator, and we do not process or decide claims. The information in this article is based on
the publicly available Class Notice and federal court records. Times Internet denies any wrongdoing,
and the Court has not decided the merits of the plaintiffs' claims.
For more class actions keep scrolling below.
Settlement Amount
$850,000 Common Fund
Case Title
Kishore, et al. v. Times Internet (UK) LTD.
Case Number
4:23-cv-03594-HSG
Court
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Final Approval Hearing
February 25, 2027 at 2:00 p.m. PST Hon. Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., Oakland Courthouse