How to Watch the Kentucky Wildcats Online without Cable

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The Kentucky Wildcats are one of the best men’s basketball teams in the NCAA. They are followed both locally and nationally. As a result, you can find all their games on major national channels. Read on to learn how to watch without cable.

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!

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.

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Wildcats Channels

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.

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Stream Wildcats Basketball

Most of the major streaming services provide access to the ESPN channels, SEC Network channels and local channels. Here are our favorites.

FuboTV

FuboTV starts at $74.99/mo, and the lowest service tier comes with ESPN and ESPN2. There are over 35 sports channels with CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) in the lineup. There are also all the major four local channels in the base package. With the Fubo Extra add-on for $7.99/mo, you get 46 extra channels including ESPNU, SEC Network, and Pac-12 Network.

The base plan comes with 1000 hours of cloud DVR and simultaneous streaming on up to ten devices. Our FuboTV review has all the details.

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DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM Entertainment plan provides CBS, CBSSN, ESPN, and ESPN2. To get SEC Network and ESPNU, you’ll need to upgrade to the Choice plan, which costs $99.99/mo. But there are many other advantages to this plan.

Choice plan has over 100 channels, unlimited cloud DVR and watching on unlimited streaming devices. See our DIRECTV STREAM review.

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Hulu + Live TV

For $69.99/mo, Hulu Live provides local network affiliates, ESPN, ESPN2, and CBSSN. It is one of three streaming services that offer SEC Network in its base package. In all, you get 85+ live TV channels, as well as Disney+ and ESPN+.

This plan comes with unlimited cloud DVR (9-month storage) and streaming on up to two devices at a time. Get more information in our Hulu + Live TV review.

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Sling TV

Sling Orange comes with ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3 and roughly 30 other channels for just $40.00/mo. If you want SEC Network, you can add Sports Extra for $11/mo more. CBSSN and ABC are not available. It’s still a great deal.

This plan limits you to using one screen at a time, but it does come with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage. See our Sling TV review for more information, as well as our guide and schedule to March Madness.

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Vidgo

Vidgo is also another good streaming service for watching the Wildcats. It offers SEC Network and five ESPN channels, including ESPN and ESPN2 for $69.99/mo. It also offers two local channels Fox and ABC.

The only disadvantage to subscribers is that it does not offer CBSSN and cloud DVR. Otherwise, you can stream on three devices at the same time. See our Vidgo review for more details.

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YouTube TV

YouTube TV goes for $72.99/mo. For that price you get 100+ channels. There are four ESPN channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPNews. You also get local channels including ABC. SEC Network is also part of its channel lineup.

A cloud DVR is available and you can watch on several streaming devices at the same time.

Paramount+

Paramount+ gives you access to all content shown on CBS and CBSSN. This is the best streaming service to pair with Sling TV and Vidgo, which do not offer CBS or CBSSN for an additional cost of $4.99/mo. Read more about this in our Paramount+ review.

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Live Stream Kentucky Wildcats Games With Most Devices and TVs

Fubo, Sling, DIRECTV, and Hulu all support the major streaming devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android mobile, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS (iPad, iPhone), Roku, and web browsers.

Sling, Fubo, Hulu Live and Paramount+ support Vizio smart TVs, LG smart TVs, Samsung smart TVs, and Xbox gaming systems. PlayStation and Nintendo Switch units are supported by Hulu.

All three streaming services support other less popular devices. See our individual reviews for complete lists.

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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.

Kentucky Men’s Basketball

The men’s team is currently coached by John Calipari in his 14th season with a record of 386–111 (78%). He has led them to 6 SEC regular season championships and 6 SEC Tournament championships in that time. And the team has participated in the postseason (March Madness) 10 times — going to the finals twice and winning once in 2012.

It 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.

The current squad includes CJ Fredrick, Chris Livingston, Antonio Reeves, Jacob Toppin, Oscar Tshiebwe (total points, rebounds leader), Cason Wallace (assists, steals), and Lance Ware.

2022-2023 Men’s Basketball Schedule

• Mon Nov 7 6:30 pm: Howard (63) at Kentucky (95) (SECN)
• Fri Nov 11 7:00 pm: Duquesne (52) at Kentucky (77) (SECN)
• Tue Nov 15 7:00 pm: Michigan State (86) at Kentucky (77) (ESPN)
• Thu Nov 17 7:00 pm: South Carolina State (63) at Kentucky (106) (SECN)
• Sun Nov 20 7:30 pm: Gonzaga (88) vs Kentucky (72) (ESPN)
• Wed Nov 23 4:00 pm: North Florida (56) at Kentucky (96) (SECN+)
• Tue Nov 29 7:00 pm: Bellarmine (41) at Kentucky (60)
• Sun Dec 4 1:00 pm: Michigan (69) vs Kentucky (73) (ABC)
• Sat Dec 10 1:00 pm: Yale (59) at Kentucky (69)
• Sat Dec 17 5:15 pm: UCLA (63) vs Kentucky (53) (CBSSN)
• Wed Dec 21 7:00 pm: Florida A&M (68) at Kentucky (88)
• Wed Dec 28 7:00 pm: Kentucky (75) at Missouri (89) (SECN)
• Sat Dec 31 12:00 pm: Louisville (63) at Kentucky (86) (CBSSN)
• Tue Jan 3 8:00 pm: LSU (71) at Kentucky (74) (ESPN)
• Sat Jan 7 1:00 pm: Kentucky (52) at Alabama (78) (ESPN)
• Tue Jan 10 7:00 pm: South Carolina (71) at Kentucky (68) (ESPN/ESPN2)
• Sat Jan 14 12:00 pm: Kentucky (63) at Tennessee (56) (ESPN)
• Tue Jan 17 9:00 pm: Georgia (71) at Kentucky (85) (ESPN)
• Sat Jan 21 2:00 pm: Texas A&M (67) at Kentucky (76) (ESPN)
• Tue Jan 24 9:00 pm: Kentucky (69) at Vanderbilt (53) (SECN)
• Sat Jan 28 8:00 pm: Kansas (77) at Kentucky (68) (ESPN)
• Tue Jan 31 9:00 pm: Kentucky (75) at Ole Miss (66) (ESPN/ESPN2)
• Sat Feb 4 8:30 pm: Florida (67) at Kentucky (72) (ESPN)
• Tue Feb 7 9:00 pm: Arkansas (88) at Kentucky (73) (ESPN/ESPN2)
• Sat Feb 11 12:00 pm: Kentucky (68) at Georgia (75) (ESPN/ESPN2)
• Wed Feb 15 8:30 pm: Kentucky (71) at Mississippi State (68) (SECN)
• Sat Feb 18 1:00 pm: Tennessee (54) at Kentucky (66) (CBSSN)
• Wed Feb 22 7:00 pm: Kentucky (82) at Florida (74) (ESPN/ESPN2)
• Sat Feb 25 4:00 pm: Auburn (54) at Kentucky (86) (CBSSN)
• Wed Mar 1 7:00 pm: Vanderbilt (68) at Kentucky (66) (SECN)
• Sat Mar 4 2:00 pm: Kentucky (88) at Arkansas (79) (CBSSN)

Kentucky Women’s Basketball

The women’s team has had excellent teams recently — going to the NCAA Tournament 7 of the last 10 years.

The program is currently coached by Kyra Elzy and 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.

The team features Adebola Adeyeye (rebounds leader), Robyn Benton (total points), Blair Green, Ajae Petty, Maddie Scherr (assists), and Jada Walker (steals).

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.

2022-2023 Women’s Basketball Schedule

• Mon Nov 7: vs Radford
• Fri Nov 11: vs Morehead State
• Sun Nov 13: vs Coastal Carolina
• Thu Nov 17: vs Bellarmine
• Mon Nov 21: vs Virginia Tech
• Wed Nov 23: vs Dayton
• Sun Dec 4: vs UNC Greensboro
• Wed Dec 7: @ Minnesota
• Sun Dec 11: vs Louisville
• Fri Dec 16: vs Murray State
• Sun Dec 18: vs Florida Gulf Coast
• Wed Dec 21: vs Ohio
• Thu Dec 29: @ Missouri
• Sun Jan 1: vs Arkansas
• Thu Jan 5: @ Georgia
• Sun Jan 8: vs LSU
• Thu Jan 12: vs South Carolina
• Sun Jan 15: @ Florida
• Sun Jan 22: @ Mississippi State
• Thu Jan 26: vs Auburn
• Sun Jan 29: vs Missouri
• Thu Feb 2: @ South Carolina
• Thu Feb 9: vs Alabama
• Mon Feb 13: @ Ole Miss
• Thu Feb 16: vs Georgia
• Sun Feb 19: @ Vanderbilt
• Thu Feb 23: @ Texas A&M
• Sun Feb 26: vs Tennessee
• Wed Mar 1: vs Florida
• Thu Mar 2: vs Alabama
• Fri Mar 3: vs Tennessee

Other Wildcats Sports

As noted above, the Wildcats have a lot of sports worth watching.

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 Significant 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+.

Wrapping Up

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.

We recommend FuboTV for Wildcats fans. Fubo allows you to try out its service free for 7 days.

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FAQs

How can I watch more basketball teams playing this year?

The following guides explain how to watch other NCAA college basketball teams without cable.