"Priced Out" of UCONN Fandom

[JimGunther]

Started watching UCONN WCBB in 1995 - Never missed a game on CPTV - Sure the half-time (and every other break) begging got old but, catching every game bonded me as a fan. Lately, not so much.
While I can afford it, I'm just too stubborn to subscribe to (how many?) pay channels just to see Geno/Chris and company. Half the time, I can't 'figger how to stream audio of the game so, why bother?

Last couple years I've relied on YouTube Highlights to 'sorta keep up and I admit, it's not the same. As we know, the ladies always had a devoted base of Senior fans (Heck, there's hardly an obituary that doesn't mention "so-and-so was a fan of the UCONN Ladies"), I suspect there's a significant number of "Old Fans" have fallen by the wayside because of the demise of "Free Access".

I can't be the only person who does NOT want to subscribe to FS1 or ESPN or SNY simply to watch the UCONN women. Does anyone think a direct subscription to UCONN/WCBB could be commercially (and legally) viable.
I suppose it would have to be a stream of who ever has the rights on a particular game. I don't know what price would work.

FWIW: I have mostly Basic Cable and Prime. I also subscribe to NHRA.TV (Drag Racing) which streams 24 live races per season. The product includes all 2 days of qualifying as well as door-to-door coverage of the entire Sunday event - Average 30 to 35 hours per weekend. This production is separate and distinct from the TV show FOX does. The package cost just increased from $129. to $149. per year. I would think a re-transmission (streaming) of an existing Basketball telecast could (and should) be significantly cheaper.

 

[HuskyNan]

I believe you can see FS1 on YouTube TV. You can get a free trial and stream the game

YouTube TV - Watch & DVR Live Sports, Shows & News

Stream live TV from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN & popular cable networks in English and Spanish. Record without DVR storage space limits. Try it free. Cancel anytime.

tv.youtube.com

 

[ThisJustIn]

I'm.... frugal and setting in to retired life with sufficient but not exorbitant resources, so I make my choices as thoughtfully as I can. It's a balance - and it's useful to compare other areas of spending and how much enjoyment it brings you.

I have no cable (and, to be honest for a while I had access to a streaming site that offered lots of channels - pirated, to be honest). My choice: Listen to the radio broadcast and then rewatch the YouTube gifts.

 

[mbr33ct]

Started watching UCONN WCBB in 1995 - Never missed a game on CPTV - Sure the half-time (and every other break) begging got old but, catching every game bonded me as a fan. Lately, not so much.
While I can afford it, I'm just too stubborn to subscribe to (how many?) pay channels just to see Geno/Chris and company. Half the time, I can't 'figger how to stream audio of the game so, why bother?

Last couple years I've relied on YouTube Highlights to 'sorta keep up and I admit, it's not the same. As we know, the ladies always had a devoted base of Senior fans (Heck, there's hardly an obituary that doesn't mention "so-and-so was a fan of the UCONN Ladies"), I suspect there's a significant number of "Old Fans" have fallen by the wayside because of the demise of "Free Access".

I can't be the only person who does NOT want to subscribe to FS1 or ESPN or SNY simply to watch the UCONN women. Does anyone think a direct subscription to UCONN/WCBB could be commercially (and legally) viable.
I suppose it would have to be a stream of who ever has the rights on a particular game. I don't know what price would work.

FWIW: I have mostly Basic Cable and Prime. I also subscribe to NHRA.TV (Drag Racing) which streams 24 live races per season. The product includes all 2 days of qualifying as well as door-to-door coverage of the entire Sunday event - Average 30 to 35 hours per weekend. This production is separate and distinct from the TV show FOX does. The package cost just increased from $129. to $149. per year. I would think a re-transmission (streaming) of an existing Basketball telecast could (and should) be significantly cheaper.

I might not be understanding your last sentence but @MJL243 posts played games on his/her YouTube channel usually within couple hours of completion and yes, it's considerably cheaper...like free, you only need access to YouTube videos. The link below if of the game played against Georgetown yesterday.

UConn vs Georgetown - Big East 1st Rd Replay

I posted the UConn vs Georgetown replay on my YouTube channel:

the-boneyard.com

 

[boontonbomber]

If you have internet go to Fox Broadcast, and watch the game stream on your computer. If you have a cable box plug your TV into the computer and watch on your TV. We watch every SNY game that way.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

We had it so good for so long, but those high cotton days are gone. I have grown weary of the fragmented rights TV festival. This year I'm checking stats, etc. and picking up the game the next day. Do I like it, heck no. With the prospect of Paige's return I expect to buy into the best package I can find in the fall.

 

[maple]

My solution was to cut the cord entirely and just pay for Hulu+ live sports from Nov - April. The rest of the year I simply just don’t watch TV. I have Disney+/ESPN+ bundled in as well and all told I pay $70.

With Hulu, I get basically every sports necessity channel except YES and the PAC-12. I get all the ESPNs, ACC/BIG/SEC networks, SNY, ABC, CBS, FOX/FS1/FS2 and also any channel where men’s basketball plays come March like TNT and USA. It also gives me the ability to record, rewatch, and rewind games.

When it comes to having Hulu/ESPN+ I can also watch some other UConn sports games like ice hockey and football. Usually I use the free Varsity app on my phone to listen to UConn sports on the radio (since I am in Syracuse) when it is not basketball season. (And then I pay $3/mo June-Oct to listen to MLB radio for my NYY.)

For Hulu I can watch on my laptop and phone as well as on my smart TV. So it’s very accessible without having to buy new equipment. I can also watch ESPN+ directly through Hulu.

I wish you well in looking for affordable solutions!

 

[Jaydumo20]

This hurts to read. Im sorry people have to go through this. I think the accepted notion in the business/technology world is that any by-product of the technology revolution is automatically more convenient than the predecessor. But it's not true.

 

[FollowerCT]

My solution was to cut the cord entirely and just pay for Hulu+ live sports from Nov - April. The rest of the year I simply just don’t watch TV. I have Disney+/ESPN+ bundled in as well and all told I pay $70.

With Hulu, I get basically every sports necessity channel except YES and the PAC-12. I get all the ESPNs, ACC/BIG/SEC networks, SNY, ABC, CBS, FOX/FS1/FS2 and also any channel where men’s basketball plays come March like TNT and USA. It also gives me the ability to record, rewatch, and rewind games.

When it comes to having Hulu/ESPN+ I can also watch some other UConn sports games like ice hockey and football. Usually I use the free Varsity app on my phone to listen to UConn sports on the radio (since I am in Syracuse) when it is not basketball season. (And then I pay $3/mo June-Oct to listen to MLB radio for my NYY.)

For Hulu I can watch on my laptop and phone as well as on my smart TV. So it’s very accessible without having to buy new equipment. I can also watch ESPN+ directly through Hulu.

I wish you well in looking for affordable solutions!

I have Hulu Live too and it gets lots of sports & most Uconn games … good overall value …

 

[Bone Dog]

I don’t have cable — don’t want it. I watch the games on youtubeTV and it’s as good as any cable broadcast. Where i live, it includes the Fox Sports channels and some of the ESPN channels. And because it includes FS1 & 2, I have the right credential to watch all the SNY broadcasts on the FoxSports app for free. It’s the cheapest way I’ve found to access pretty much every game. It costs about $50/mo but you can cancel it after the season and restart it again in November.

 

[Puppy Love]

We use YouTubeTV, but we live in CT. It’s a lot cheaper than cable.

 

[Redux]

a streaming site that offered lots of channels

With charity in your heart towards others maybe you shouldn't "assume" and therefore accuse that provider that the stream is not legal for you to watch the games. There are all kinds of sources: US, international, and all kinds of bulk licensing deals, some of them grandfathered to wholesalers; you can't be expected to individually research and know the details of all this. There may be a service that has all kinds of channels of dubious genealogy (DON"T WATCH THEM!) but the game happens to be on a channel where the license is valid for some middle eastern country that has subcontracted with someone else who has some grandfathered wholesale contract and in some convoluted but defensible way the game has made its way to you.

 

[JimGunther]

Nan - Free trial. I feel guilty (knowing I intend to quit) signing up for “free” deals. Besides, too often, I forget to cancel. DOH!

ThisJustin - Radio or Radio Streaming SHOULD be simple but I have a tough time accessing the UCONN Network, My problem, I suppose.

MBR33CT – I appreciate the guy/gal who posts the full YouTube game. Just hate to stay awake that long and – given that I know the result by then – just rely on highlights. I WOULD like to see it in real time but….

BoonTown: Fox Broadcast? Does that require a subscription? And would I have to be out of broadcast area (use my VPN)?

JayDumo – No reason to be sad – Not for me anyway (I’ve made an informed choice). That said, I don’t know how/if a lot of the folks who “fell in love with ‘our girls’” are able to have those enjoyable evenings any more.

 

[ThisJustIn]

With charity in your heart towards others maybe you shouldn't "assume" and therefore accuse that provider that the stream is not legal for you to watch the games.

The provider no longer exists.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I watched the games when they were on PBS. I loved the games and absolutely hated the constant begging. My only b***ch is the one off games sold to different services. It seems like every year we have to scramble to watch games when a new player enters the picture. While I wish all of the games were carried by SNY, unfortunately, that isn't going to happen.

I consider the UConn games the same way that I think about any other entertainment product. If I want to access that entertainment product I expect to pay for it. If I don't want to pay for it, I won't watch it.

Considering the entertainment value provided by the UConn Women's team, I think it's a pretty good deal to pay a few bucks to watch a game live.

 

[DrummerDee]

Started watching UCONN WCBB in 1995 - Never missed a game on CPTV - Sure the half-time (and every other break) begging got old but, catching every game bonded me as a fan. Lately, not so much.
While I can afford it, I'm just too stubborn to subscribe to (how many?) pay channels just to see Geno/Chris and company. Half the time, I can't 'figger how to stream audio of the game so, why bother?

Last couple years I've relied on YouTube Highlights to 'sorta keep up and I admit, it's not the same. As we know, the ladies always had a devoted base of Senior fans (Heck, there's hardly an obituary that doesn't mention "so-and-so was a fan of the UCONN Ladies"), I suspect there's a significant number of "Old Fans" have fallen by the wayside because of the demise of "Free Access".

I can't be the only person who does NOT want to subscribe to FS1 or ESPN or SNY simply to watch the UCONN women. Does anyone think a direct subscription to UCONN/WCBB could be commercially (and legally) viable.
I suppose it would have to be a stream of who ever has the rights on a particular game. I don't know what price would work.

FWIW: I have mostly Basic Cable and Prime. I also subscribe to NHRA.TV (Drag Racing) which streams 24 live races per season. The product includes all 2 days of qualifying as well as door-to-door coverage of the entire Sunday event - Average 30 to 35 hours per weekend. This production is separate and distinct from the TV show FOX does. The package cost just increased from $129. to $149. per year. I would think a re-transmission (streaming) of an existing Basketball telecast could (and should) be significantly cheaper.

Lose your cable, save some $$$ and subscribe to YoutubeTV. We cut the cable 3 years ago and will never go back. Our basic cable was 130 per month, vs. 65 for YTTV. And we watch all conferences along with UConn any time we want.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Yea...cable is ridiculous. You would think for the cost it would come with complimentary drinks. That's why I'm only a part-time fan. lol

 

[Huskie837]

I have Directv because they have both SNY (UCONN women) and YES (Yankees) but that’s my deal….but my package has the ESPN channels, Fox, FS1, FS2, ACC, Big10 and SEC but I have to upgrade for a month because of those two CBS Sports Net games…

 

[Bald Husky]

I believe you can see FS1 on YouTube TV. You can get a free trial and stream the game

YouTube TV - Watch & DVR Live Sports, Shows & News

Stream live TV from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN & popular cable networks in English and Spanish. Record without DVR storage space limits. Try it free. Cancel anytime.

tv.youtube.com

I have YouTube TV and just about every College BB game is recorded, including all of ours. Also, most of our games are also available on regular YouTube. I never have to worry about missing a game, because I know I'd be able to see it in its entirety that night.

 

[Shenandoah]

I believe you can see FS1 on YouTube TV. You can get a free trial and stream the game

YouTube TV - Watch & DVR Live Sports, Shows & News

Stream live TV from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN & popular cable networks in English and Spanish. Record without DVR storage space limits. Try it free. Cancel anytime.

tv.youtube.com

Yes. I finally dumped cable for youtube tv, and I've seen (I think) all of the UConn games this year.

 

[Blueberries]

I have Directv because they have both SNY (UCONN women) and YES (Yankees) but that’s my deal….but my package has the ESPN channels, Fox, FS1, FS2, ACC, Big10 and SEC but I have to upgrade for a month because of those two CBS Sports Net games…

I have directv and I don’t have to upgrade for CBS Sports…. You should drop that and try to access it and I’ll bet it works. I am not supposed to have PAC12 network but yet I do, along with other random channels

 

[Zorro]

I'm.... frugal and setting in to retired life with sufficient but not exorbitant resources, so I make my choices as thoughtfully as I can. It's a balance - and it's useful to compare other areas of spending and how much enjoyment it brings you.

I have no cable (and, to be honest for a while I had access to a streaming site that offered lots of channels - pirated, to be honest). My choice: Listen to the radio broadcast and then rewatch the YouTube gifts.

I don't even get radio. I mostly watch the stats pile up and then watch the replay. Prolly easier on the heart. @MJL243 is a treasure!!

 

[Blueberries]

I don't even get radio. I mostly watch the stats pile up and then watch the replay. Prolly easier on the heart. @MJL243 is a treasure!!

The radio is free online. I listen to it on whatever the wtic 1080 site is online out of state driving to and from work.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Radio: You can get the app or online: The Varsity Network