Short answer: Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi and Bengali viewers in the US are better served by language-specific apps than by any big bundle: Chaupal for Punjabi films and series, ShemarooMe for Gujarati and Marathi, hoichoi for Bengali ($9.99 a month or $79.99 a year), and ZEE5 for Zee Punjabi, Zee Marathi and Zee Bangla serials. For live channels, check YuppTV's and Sling's language packs. The catch: several of the most-watched channels in these languages, such as Star Pravah, Star Jalsha and the Colors regional channels, belong to JioStar, whose app isn't offered in the US, so those serials can be the hardest to find legally.
At a glance
Four languages, best starting points
| Punjabi | Chaupal; ZEE5 for Zee Punjabi; YuppTV or Sling for live |
| Gujarati | ShemarooMe; free Gujarati news on YouTube |
| Marathi | ZEE5 for Zee Marathi; ShemarooMe; SonyLIV for Sony Marathi |
| Bengali | hoichoi; ZEE5 for Zee Bangla |
| Hardest to find | JioStar regional serials (Star Pravah, Star Jalsha) |
Why these four languages work differently
Hindi and the big South Indian languages have enough US viewers for Sling and YuppTV to build full packs around them. Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi and Bengali audiences are large too, but the licensed market has developed differently: through dedicated regional streaming apps built by companies in Mumbai, Kolkata and Punjab, with live channels a secondary route.
That shapes the advice. For these languages, start by asking whether your household mainly wants films and web series (the regional app is the answer) or live TV and daily serials (check the live packs and the network apps). For the national picture, see our main guide to Indian TV in the US by language and budget.
Where each language's big channels stream legally
| Language | Major channels | Licensed US route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punjabi | PTC Punjabi, Zee Punjabi, PTC News | YuppTV / Sling Punjabi options; ZEE5 for Zee Punjabi shows | Check live packs channel by channel |
| Punjabi films | Pollywood releases, originals | Chaupal | Punjabi, Haryanvi and Bhojpuri |
| Gujarati | Colors Gujarati, TV9 Gujarati, GSTV | ShemarooMe for films and shows; YouTube for news | Colors Gujarati is JioStar |
| Marathi | Zee Marathi, Star Pravah, Colors Marathi, Sony Marathi | ZEE5 (Zee), SonyLIV (Sony), ShemarooMe | Star Pravah is JioStar |
| Bengali | Zee Bangla, Star Jalsha, Colors Bangla | ZEE5 (Zee Bangla); hoichoi for films and originals | Star Jalsha is JioStar |
| News in all four | ABP Majha, ABP Ananda, TV9 Gujarati, PTC News | Official YouTube live streams | Free |
Rights change, so treat "check" as a real instruction: open each service's channel list for your language before subscribing.
Punjabi
Films and series: Chaupal. Chaupal is a Punjabi-first streaming app that also carries Haryanvi and Bhojpuri. It says plainly that it streams to the US, with monthly and annual plans, and lists apps for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung, LG, Vizio, Android TV and Chromecast. If your household watches new Punjabi films rather than live TV, this is the first subscription to try.
Serials: ZEE5 and the live packs. Zee Punjabi's shows are on ZEE5. PTC network channels, the most-watched Punjabi broadcaster, have appeared in US South Asian packs; check YuppTV's Punjabi pack and Sling's current Desi line-ups for PTC Punjabi and PTC News before paying.
News: free. PTC News and several other Punjabi news channels stream on their official YouTube channels.
Gurbani: live kirtan from Sri Harmandir Sahib has streamed free on the SGPC's own YouTube channel since 2023, so it needs no subscription at all. For other Punjabi channels, see our channel-by-channel guide.
Gujarati
Gujarati is the language where live TV is hardest to buy in the US and where on-demand apps do most of the work.
ShemarooMe. Shemaroo, the Mumbai film company, has a large Gujarati section with films, plays, shows and devotional programming, including live darshan channels. It runs a US social presence and apps on Apple, Google Play, Fire TV and Apple TV. Plan availability can depend on region, so sign up from the US app store and confirm Gujarati titles play before paying for a year.
Live channels. Colors Gujarati, the leading entertainment channel, belongs to JioStar, which doesn't offer its streaming app in the US. Check YuppTV's and Sling's lists for any Gujarati entertainment channel before assuming one is available.
News: free. TV9 Gujarati, ABP Asmita and others run official YouTube live streams, which is how most Gujarati families in the US follow news from home.
Gujarati theatre and films also appear on Prime Video and on broadcasters' official YouTube channels, often free with ads.
Marathi
Marathi TV is dominated by four channels: Zee Marathi, Star Pravah, Colors Marathi and Sony Marathi. Each sits with a different owner, so each has a different US answer.
- Zee Marathi: ZEE5, which has Zee Marathi serials on demand, usually the same day they air.
- Sony Marathi: SonyLIV. Sling's Desi Binge Plus has bundled SonyLIV, so check whether you already have it.
- Star Pravah and Colors Marathi: the hard ones. Both are JioStar channels, and JioHotstar isn't offered in the US. Check Sling's Desi packs and Disney's US services for any Star Pravah content, title by title.
- Marathi films: ShemarooMe has a separate Marathi section and channels, and Planet Marathi is a dedicated Marathi app; confirm it's in your US app store.
News (ABP Majha, TV9 Marathi, Zee 24 Taas) streams free on official YouTube channels.
Bengali
hoichoi is the clearest recommendation in this whole guide. It's a Bengali streaming service with US pricing on its own site: $9.99 a month (one stream, three downloads) or $79.99 a year (two streams, five downloads). It carries Bengali films and a large slate of originals.
Zee Bangla serials are on ZEE5. Star Jalsha and Colors Bangla are JioStar channels, with the same US gap as Star Pravah. Sun Bangla is part of Sun TV Network; check whether any Sling pack lists it.
One trap with live packs: "Bangla" packs in the US sometimes mix Bangladeshi and West Bengal channels. If you want Kolkata channels specifically, read the channel names, not the pack name.
News: ABP Ananda and Zee 24 Ghanta stream on their official YouTube channels.
Odia, Assamese, Bhojpuri and other languages
The same pattern holds, only more so, for India's other regional languages. Licensed live TV is thin; apps and official YouTube channels carry most of the load.
- Bhojpuri and Haryanvi: Chaupal carries both alongside Punjabi.
- Odia: Zee Sarthak and Tarang are the big entertainment channels; Zee Sarthak shows appear on ZEE5. Odia news (OTV, Kanak News) streams on official YouTube channels.
- Assamese: news channels such as Pratidin Time and News Live publish on YouTube; entertainment is mostly on broadcasters' own channels there.
- Urdu: Zee's Zindagi content has been on ZEE5, and Sling's Desi line-up has offered Urdu options.
For these languages, YuppTV is worth a look because it sells smaller language packs that the big US bundles don't. Check the channel list rather than the pack name.
Live channels: YuppTV and Sling
For live TV in these languages, two US services are worth checking:
YuppTV sells packs by language, including Punjabi, Marathi, Bengali and Gujarati, with catch-up so you can watch an evening serial from India at a sensible US hour. Line-ups vary a lot between languages, and its prices move with promotions, so check the US page on the day.
Sling sells Desi packs by language, and its line-ups have included Punjabi, Marathi and Bangla options as well as Hindi and South Indian. Sling's Desi Binge Plus was listed at $15 a month in 2025.
Because India's evening prime time arrives in the US morning (an 8 p.m. serial in India is 10:30 a.m. Eastern until November 1, 2026, then 9:30 a.m.), catch-up or on-demand matters more than the live channel itself. Our catch-up TV explainer covers how replay windows work.
Getting regional apps onto the TV
Regional apps reach Google TV and Roku first, then Fire TV and Apple TV, with Samsung, LG and Vizio stores often later. If an app isn't on your TV:
- Search the store on a Google TV or Roku device instead; a $30 to $60 stick is cheaper than going without.
- Cast or AirPlay from the phone app, which is usually more complete than the TV version.
- If you're shopping for a new Fire TV, note that Amazon's 3rd-generation Fire TV Stick 4K runs Vega OS with a narrower Appstore; search for the regional app before buying.
Our device and app guide for Indian channels compares the platforms.
Putting a budget together
| Household | Suggested setup | Approx. per year |
|---|---|---|
| Bengali, films and originals | hoichoi annual | $79.99 |
| Bengali, plus Zee Bangla serials | hoichoi annual + ZEE5 | $79.99 plus ZEE5 |
| Marathi, Zee and Sony serials | ZEE5 + SonyLIV (or Sling Desi with SonyLIV) | Check current prices |
| Punjabi, films and live channels | Chaupal + a YuppTV or Sling Punjabi option | Check current prices |
| Gujarati, mostly films and news | ShemarooMe + free YouTube news | ShemarooMe's US price |
Only hoichoi publishes a clear US price we could confirm; the others change with promotions, so we've left them for you to check. In most of these households the realistic total is one regional app plus, at most, one network app: well under $200 a year.
Our yearly cost breakdown for Indian TV in the US has the full worksheet.
What about the "every language" sellers?
The search results for this topic are dominated by sellers listing 14 to 20 languages, from Punjabi to Assamese, with "15,000+ channels" for a one-off payment of $230 to $400 covering several years. It's an appealing pitch for exactly these languages, because licensed live TV in them is patchy.
It still isn't a good deal. None of these sellers say whose channels they're licensed to carry, and Zee, Sony, JioStar and PTC don't sell to them. They can vanish with your prepayment, and there's no refund route. The licensed apps above cost less per year than most of those prepay plans, and you can cancel any month. Our guide to spotting an IPTV scam lists the warning signs.
Quick answers
How can I watch Punjabi channels in the USA? Chaupal for Punjabi films and series, ZEE5 for Zee Punjabi shows, YuppTV or Sling for live Punjabi channels, and official YouTube streams for Punjabi news.
Where can I watch Zee Marathi serials in the US? On ZEE5, which carries Zee Marathi serials on demand, usually the same day they air in India.
Is Star Pravah available in the USA? It's hard to find. Star Pravah is a JioStar channel and JioHotstar isn't offered in the US. Check Sling's Desi packs and Disney+ or Hulu for specific shows.
How much is hoichoi in the US? hoichoi lists US plans at $9.99 a month with one stream, or $79.99 a year with two streams.
What's the best app for Gujarati content in America? ShemarooMe has the largest Gujarati section, with films, shows and devotional programming. Gujarati news is free on official YouTube channels.
Can I get Zee Bangla in the US? Zee Bangla serials are on ZEE5. Star Jalsha and Colors Bangla, as JioStar channels, are harder to find legally.
Where can I watch Bhojpuri films in the US? Chaupal carries Bhojpuri films and series alongside Punjabi and Haryanvi, and says it streams to the US.
Do I need a VPN for these regional apps? No. Chaupal, hoichoi, ZEE5 and the others named here sell plans to US viewers directly. Using a VPN to reach India-only catalogues breaks those services' terms.
Are Indian IPTV boxes with every regional language legal? Generally not. They don't disclose licences, and the major networks don't sell their channels that way.
Regional Indian channel rights in the US change often, and the regional apps adjust prices and plans regularly. Only prices we could confirm on the services' own pages are quoted. Checked October 2026.