The Kentucky Wildcats is one of the best teams in all of NCAA basketball. Being able to watch them is never difficult since their massive local and national following means every game is broadcast on major networks. I provide all the information below.
In a hurry? Wildcats games are usually aired on ESPN-related channels. These services provide all you need to see every Kentucky game and a lot more.
- Fubo: Get 150+ well-selected channels with a focus on sports. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
- DIRECTV STREAM: Easily dump cable/satellite with this full-cable replacement service. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
- Hulu + Live TV: Get 95+ live TV channels along with the Hulu on-demand library, ESPN+, and Disney+. Try the Hulu Live free 3-day trial.
Table Of Contents
The Kentucky Wildcats are one of the founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and they currently sponsor 13 sports at the varsity level.
In addition to the men’s and women’s basketball team and men’s football team, the school participates in other mainstream sports such as soccer, gymnastics, and tennis.
Let’s take a closer look at the history of the school, its athletic programs, and how you can watch Kentucky athletics from wherever you happen to be.
TV Channels for Kentucky Wildcats Basketball
Kentucky basketball games are featured on a variety of channels but almost all of them are related to ESPN. The most common channel is SEC Network (SECN) or its substation (SECN+). Games also appear on ESPN itself and CBS.
If Kentucky is playing a non-conference opponent, it’s possible that the contest will be shown on a network that typically broadcasts teams featuring that conference. For example, if the Cats were playing against an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponent such as Syracuse or Clemson, that game might be shown on the ACC Network.
The women’s team games appear on the same channels as the men’s team games although there are a lot more that appear on SECN+. This station should be available with any subscription that includes SECN — either directly or via TV Everywhere.
Streaming Services for Kentucky Wildcats Basketball Games
Most of the major streaming services provide access to the ESPN channels, SEC Network channels, and local channels.
Given its contract with ESPN, the Tigers’ games are very easy to find streaming. Beyond that, each of these streaming services has its own advantages.
| Service | Price | Channels | LSU Channels | Reviews |
 | $79.99/month | 150+ | CBS, ESPN/2, SECN | Fubo |
 | $114.99/month | 125+ | CBS, ESPN/2, SECN | DIRECTV |
 | $82.99/month | 95+ | CBS, ESPN/2, SECN, ESPN+ | Hulu |
 | $82.99/month | 100+ | CBS, ESPN/2, SECN | YouTube |
 | $45.99/month | 30+ | ESPN/2, SECN | Sling |
 | $10.99/month | N/A | ESPN+ | ESPN+ |
Streaming Features
All the live TV streaming services come with a cloud DVR. Sling TV limits you to 50 hours, but this should be enough for most. All the others offer unlimited storage.
You are limited to streaming on a single device with Sling TV. The others allow multiple simultaneous streams. Fubo offers up to 10 and DIRECTV STREAM is unlimited.
The streaming services listed above provide apps for most devices. They all support Amazon Fire TV, Android mobile, Android TV smart TVs, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS mobile devices, Roku, and Samsung smart TVs. Other smart TVs and gaming consoles are supported by some services.
The Legacy and History of Kentucky Wildcats Basketball
The Wildcats got their nickname from a quote that was uttered after a football game played in 1909 against Illinois. Speaking at a church service the morning after the contest, the head of a nearby military college said that the team had fought like the ferocious jungle creatures. Several years later, the school officially adopted the moniker for all of its sports programs.
In recent years, the Kentucky men’s and women’s basketball teams have had varying levels of success. The men’s program won its most recent national championship in 2012 and appeared in the national championship game in 2014. The women’s team made the NCAA tournament in 2021 and advanced to the second round before being eliminated by Iowa.
Although the school is best known for its success in men’s basketball, the women’s team was the first to make its debut in 1902. The men’s squad would be created a year later. In the 1920s, the women’s program would be abolished until 1974 based on the strange premise that women weren’t physically capable of doing so.
The Wildcats have rivalries Tennessee Volunteers, Louisville Cardinals, Indiana Hoosiers, and Florida Gators.
Kentucky Wildcats Men’s Basketball
The men’s team is currently coached by Mark Pope after long-time coach John Calipari left for Arkansas.
The team plays its home games at Rupp Arena in Lexington. It is named after Adolph Rupp, who was one of the most successful coaches in school history. He was hired by the school in 1930 and would remain there until 1972. During that time, his teams won four national championships as well as a National Invitational Tournament (NIT) title.
Throughout its history, the basketball team representing the University of Kentucky has produced a number of top players who have gone on to have long professional careers. Those players include Devin Booker, John Wall, and Anthony Davis. In 2010, four Kentucky players were selected by NBA teams in that year’s draft.
Kentucky Wildcats Women’s Basketball
The women’s program has had excellent teams recently — going to the NCAA Tournament 7 of the last 10 years.
Experienced head coach Kenny Brooks replaced Kyra Elzy after two disappointing seasons (she is now assistant coach at Duke). The team plays its home games at the Memorial Coliseum. This is the same arena where the men’s team played until 1976 when Rupp Arena was built.
In 1983, the Wildcats were ranked fourth in the nation, which was the school’s highest ranking. That squad was led by all-time greats Valerie Still and Lea Wise.
Other Kentucky Wildcats Sports
As noted above, the Wildcats have a lot of sports worth watching.
Kentucky Wildcats Football
Both basketball programs were created about a decade after the school started playing football. Kentucky’s football team was coached by the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant for eight seasons from 1946 to 1954, and the team was retroactively named the 1950 national champions in 2004.
During the 1950 season, the Wildcats defeated Oklahoma in its bowl game, and at the time, the Sooners were the top ranked team in the country. It’s believed that Kentucky would have likely been the consensus pick to win the title that year if the NCAA had a formal process for naming a champion.
Kentucky’s football team went 9-3 during the 2021 season and qualified for the Citrus Bowl. The team has featured several notable names in recent years including current quarterback Will Levis and 2019 first round NFL draft pick Josh Allen.
The Wildcats are currently coached by Will Stoops and play their home games at Kroger Field. Kentucky’s top rivals in football include Louisville, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. In a typical year, the Wildcats will play the Louisville Cardinals during the final week of the season for the Governor’s Cup.
The Wildcat football games appear on the same channels as the basketball games.
Other Kentucky Wildcats Sports Programs
Since 2012, the track and field team has won 29 individual conference championships and an additional six at the national level. The school’s cheerleading team has won 24 national titles and have made the cheerleading tournament finals every year that it has existed.
The school’s baseball and softball teams have had a sustained run of success over the past decade thanks to new coaches and new stadiums. In 2018, the baseball team moved to Kentucky Proud Park while the softball team moved into John Cropp Stadium in 2013. In 2012, the baseball team earned its only number one ranking during a year in which it won 45 games and advanced to the NCAA tournament.
These games appear on ESPNU, SECN, SECN+, as well as ESPN+.
Our Choice
The Kentucky Wildcats are a popular team and so often featured on live TV. Any of the streaming services listed above will provide good coverage. I recommend Fubo for Wildcats fans. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
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My expertise in sports coverage, particularly for out-of-market games and regional sports networks, stems from years of hands-on experience as an early adopter of streaming services and my work addressing fans' viewing challenges. As a longtime cord-cutter and subscriber to multiple streaming platforms, I combine my technical knowledge with practical user experience, making me a leading expert in the field of sports streaming and entertainment technology.
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