It's finally here BBN, it is college basketball time in the Bluegrass. Kentucky basketball tips off its 2025-26 season Tuesday night against Nicholls State. But in today's messy media landscape, just figuring out how to watch the game can be a challenge, especially with ongoing carriage disputes between giants like Disney (owner of ESPN) and YouTube TV. You have to know which streaming service carries which channel and it can be a mess.
Don't worry, we've got you covered. Here's everything you need to know.
How to watch Kentucky vs. Nicholls State
The season opener from Rupp Arena at 7 p.m. EST is not on traditional television. It is a streaming-only broadcast, exclusively available on SEC Network+ and ESPN+. A lot of the early season games will be like this, so bookmark this page if you need a reminder on how to do it. This means you have a few options:
- SEC Network+ (Via TV Provider): If your current cable, satellite, or live TV streaming service (like
- ESPN+ (Standalone Subscription): If you don't have a TV provider or yours is in a dispute (like the ongoing one with YouTube TV), you must subscribe to ESPN+ directly. ESPN+ now has different tiers, and you may need the ESPN Unlimited plan ($29.99/month) to guarantee access to all games, as the cheaper "Select" plan only includes select content. Bundles with Disney+ and Hulu are also available.
- Listen for Free (Radio): If you want to avoid the streaming headache altogether, you can always listen to the legendary Tom Leach and Jack Givens on the UK Sports Network radio call. Below are the stations for that across the state:
Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, Sling TV (Orange Plan)) already includes the SEC Network, you can watch for free. Simply log in to the ESPN app or ESPN.com with your existing TV provider credentials to access the SEC Network+ stream.
- Online: Stream live at UKAthletics.com or on iHeartRadio via WLAP 630.
- Local FM/AM Stations:
- Lexington: 98.1 FM / 630 WLAP
- Louisville: 840 AM WHAS
- London: 103.9 FM WWEL
- Hazard/Pikeville: 101.1 WSGS
- Madisonville: 93.9 FM WKTG
Even with the frustrating streaming battles, there are plenty of ways to follow along as the Wildcats officially begin their quest for Banner Nine.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion